AS A WOMAN in a capitalist country, the age of
40 offers prime moneymaking years: freedom to
choose whether to launch a company, climb the
corporate ladder and/or raise children. A
forty-year-old woman in a capitalist country owns
the buying power.
Every advertiser and marketer knows if you
target her, you have hit the buying decision maker
for the family who drives our economy. For a woman
in Afghanistan, 40 is the average life expectancy.
A fortieth birthday is the end rather than what
many of us consider to be hitting our stride.
I have been told by several men, and some women
in high positions in media and in government, "It
is not our place to speak up for the rights of
women in Afghanistan. It’s a cultural difference."
I do not agree.
Less than a century ago women in Canada were
not allowed to vote. In some places they weren’t
even allowed to talk about the subject. Undaunted,
they held "pink teas" to discuss philosophical,
political and economic issues their brothers,
fathers and husbands would not permit them to
discuss in public. Sound familiar? We are not
worlds apart from Afghanistan after all.
Women are critical to the economic success of
our capitalist society. And women are critical to
progress and stability in war-torn Afghanistan. It
has been shown that Afghan women, if given the
opportunity to work, will reinvest 90 per cent of
their income back into their families. Men will
reinvest 30 per cent.
If women are not allowed to leave the home to
work, if they are not allowed to become literate,
if they are not allowed to go to the doctor so
they end up dying at age of 40, then how can there
be progress? From an economic standpoint alone,
society must examine the role of women in
developing nations. We must all step up if we are
to put an end to war and poverty.
Melanne Verveer, U.S. ambassador-at-large for
global women’s issues, recently visited
Afghanistan. On her return she said: "No country
can prosper if half its people are left behind. .
. . The truth of the matter is that countries that
repress women also tend to be backward
economically, and are more likely to be failed
states."
Empower women in Afghanistan and you will end
war and oppression. I shudder to think of where my
mother, daughter and sister would be right now if
people had backed away from the fight for women’s
rights in Canada because someone said: "It’s a
cultural thing."
As Afghanistan goes to the polls next week
every one of us should reflect on the role of
women in our global economy. Instead of asking,
"Should we be in Afghanistan?" we can ask, "How
must we be in Afghanistan so that we support the
freedom and basic rights of women who will
ultimately be the power and force required to end
this war?"
It will require security, literacy and economic
empowerment to help the people of Afghanistan.
That means a united effort by the U.S., Canada,
Europe and other nations to ensure those three
priorities are met concurrently.
A recent poll showed only 30 per cent of
Canadians support our involvement in Afghanistan.
This should be no surprise, given that only 30 odd
per cent of our own community bothered to turn out
in our last municipal election.
If we don’t care about democracy at home, why
would we care about democracy in developing
nations? The real enemy is our own apathy — at
home and abroad.
To find out more about the programs Canada is
supporting to empower women to run for office and
participate in the election visit http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/
Barb Stegemann is a 40-year-old business woman,
author and motivational speaker living in
Bedford.
)
