US-Afghanistan-Women -- USAGM
Metadata
- US-Afghanistan-Women -- USAGM
- August 12, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script US-Afghanistan-Women HEADLINE: Afghan Women, Girls Face Drastic Disintegration of Rights TEASER: A year after US withdrawal, Afghanistan’s 19 million women and girls see quality of life erode, despite US, other nations’ pressure on Taliban PUBLISHED AT: 08/11/2022 at 8:42 pm BYLINE: Anita Powell CONTRIBUTOR: Patsy Widakuswara DATELINE: Washington VIDEOGRAPHER: AP VIDEO EDITOR: SCRIPT EDITORS: KE; Holly Franko VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP, AFP, ZOOM PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 2:29 VID APPROVED BY: mia TYPE: EDITOR NOTES:)) ((INTRO:)) [[Afghan women and girls have seen the drastic disintegration of their rights and quality of life in the year since the Taliban took over after the U.S. withdrew all troops. This as the Biden administration pledged to bring what it called the full force of its leverage to protect women and girls in Afghanistan. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington. ]] ((Establish people, women in Afghanistan, AFP-V000_329P8JY and AFP-V000_328D2L6)) ((NARRATOR)) In the year since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, women and girls have seen their rights degrade dramatically ((GFX from White House over narration – put over a still of the White House, I think)) “We continue to press the Taliban at every opportunity on their inability to live up to their commitments to uphold the human rights of all Afghans.” –National Security Council spokesperson, to VOA. – despite what the White House says are their constant efforts to pressure the Islamist group. ((2021 Withdrawal scenes: AFP-V000_9UX6N8; AFP-V000_9LY2UF; AFP-V000_9LX3D4; AFP-V000_9LN97B)) During the chaotic withdrawal last year, the White House touted their influence over the group. ((Establish Psaki from AFP-V000_9LP9W4)) ((waiting for a date for this SOT)) ((SOT, English, AFP-V000_9LP9W4)) ((Jen Psaki, Former White House Press Secretary)) "We have an enormous amount of leverage — this is our view — over time. That includes economic leverage, that includes leverage that we will make clear to the Taliban as it relates to coordination to continue to get American citizens and our partners out." ((Sequence of girls in secret schools: AFP-V000_32FP6JG)) ((NARRATOR)) But since taking power last August, the hardline group has prevented most girls from going to school, forcing them into secret schools. ((Women in burqa AFP-V000_329P8JY; Afghan women driving protest V000_329C4YD)) And they’ve ordered women to cover their faces and stopped issuing driver’s licenses to women. ((Afghan eid prayers: AFP-V000_32E493H)) The group pegs these edicts to their strict interpretation of Islam. ((Kabul scenes: AFP-V000_32GB3YL)) The U.S. pressure is not enough, say advocates. [[Radio: Madiha Afzal is a fellow in the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. She spoke to VOA via Zoom from an undisclosed location.]] ((SOT, English, Zoom, from 12:31 in file; here in Frame https://app.frame.io/player/8de8255e-66e0-40c0-9dab-7c6b40570100)) ((Madiha Afzal, Brookings Institution)) ((Zoom)) “It's basically been, you know, a leverage that has not worked, frankly. And it's sort of it's essentially time that we acknowledge that. There's also sort of the question of diplomatic recognition, but that's a question that's, you know, sort of far down the road. I mean, the question of, you know, sort of the other kinds of aid, the question of, you know, the unfreezing of the central bank reserves, all those questions sort of come first. And even that is leverage that essentially has not worked.” ((Biden in Saudi, with MBS, AFP-V001_32EK4YA; Qatar Taliban diplomacy AFP-V000_32DW9WB; Qatar Food aid to Afghanistan AFP-V000_32D83UQ)) ((NARRATOR)) The U.S. isn’t the only nation speaking out for Afghan women — Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have also tried — again, with no effect. ((Displaced Afghans AFP-V000_32FL7NN; People fleeing AFP-V000_32ET7ZG)) And analysts say the sanctioning of the Taliban has led to a humanitarian crisis that disproportionately hurts women and children — and could threaten the main U.S. priority for Afghanistan, which is to prevent it from becoming a terrorist haven again. [[Radio: Michael Kugelman is deputy director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center. He spoke to VOA via Zoom.]] ((SOT, English, Frame from 3:13 in file; fame link TK)) ((Michael Kugelman, Wilson Center)) ((Zoom)) “I think that many in Afghanistan would blame the United States to an extent for the current state of affairs of the humanitarian crisis, in that the U.S. led these efforts to sanction the Taliban many years ago, the sanctions are still there. And it's mainly because of those sanctions that you're not having money coming into the country. And because money's not coming into the country, that's a big reason for the economic crisis.” ((Women protest face covering decree V000_329T4Z4)) ((NARRATOR)) And what do the women of Afghanistan want? ((SOUNDBITE 1, Parsi-Dari, from AFP-V000_329T4Z4)) ((Saira Sama Alimyar, Protester)) "We want to live as living beings, as humans, and not as captives in a corner of the house, not be held in a cage and our husbands go and beg for food. We don't ever want this.” ((Broll of women and children in Afghanistan – AP-cctv052496; Afghan women call for more participation AFP-V000_32DE3HF; Women poetry reading AFP-V000_32DZ9YZ)) ((NARRATOR)) But for Afghanistan’s 19 million girls and women, this demand is being denied. ((Anita Powell, VOA News, Washington))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Location (dateline) Washington D.C.
- Embargo Date August 11, 2022 21:30 EDT
- Byline VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington.
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English