The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, June 3, 2009

Women in Afghanistan: fighting fundamentalism and building their own future

With Shazia Shakib, member of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)

Jointly presented by the Support Association of the Women of Afghanistan (SAWA) ( http://www.sawa-australia.org/events.htm ) and the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre

Shazia Shakib, a member of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), will come to Australia to give a first hand account of the struggle for human rights, democracy and secular values in a country ravaged by war and religious fundamentalism.

For 30 years, through Soviet occupation, Taliban rule, the American invasion and the current reign of warlords, RAWA has continued the struggle for democracy, human rights and secularism. RAWA runs health clinics, schools and adult education centres.

The Taliban prohibited the education of girls and are still destroying schools and murdering teachers who dare to continue teaching.

Audio transcript available here ( http://www.unisa.edu.au/hawkecentre/events/2009events/SAWA_Women-in-Afghanistan.mp3 ) (mp3 format, 24MB)