sima
Dr. Sima Samar,
Independent Afghanistan Human Rights Commission
(2003 AWARD RECIPIENT)
Dr. Sima Samar is the Chair of the Independent Afghanistan Human Rights Commission. In this position, Dr. Samar oversees the conduct of human rights education programs, the implementation of a nationwide women's rights education program, and the monitoring and investigation of human rights abuses. Dr. Samar convened the Commission, which was required by the Bonn Agreement. It is the first Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan's history.
From December 22, 2001 until June 22, 2002, Dr. Sima Samar served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Women's Affairs for the Interim Administration of Afghanistan. Dr. Samar was one of only two women cabinet ministers in the transition government. In June 2002, Dr. Samar was elected as the vice-chair of the Loya Jirga Assembly.
During the Interim Administration, Dr. Samar established the first-ever Afghanistan Ministry of Women's Affairs. Under her leadership, buildings for the Ministry were secured and rehabilitated and the Ministry began advocacy, training, and service programs to help restore the rights of women and to improve their economic, political, legal, and social status. Among other accomplishments, the Ministry won the right for women government employees to return to their jobs and to keep their seniority. The Ministry also secured the representation of women as 11% of the Loya Jirga delegates, oversaw the re-entry of girls to schools, launched a women's rights legal department, and opened a school for married girls, which taught tailoring, literacy, and embroidery courses at the Ministry's headquarters. Dr. Samar also won support for and began construction of multi-service women's centers throughout Afghanistan.
Dr. Samar returned to Afghanistan to assume this cabinet post after 17 years in exile in Pakistan, where she founded and directs the Shuhada Organization in Quetta. The Shuhada Organization runs health, education, and income generation projects for women and girls in Afghanistan and those living as refugees in Pakistan. The Shuhada Organization is the oldest Afghan NGO working in the region, and the largest Afghan woman-led organization.
A leading authority on health care for Afghan women, Dr. Samar graduated from Kabul University Medical College in 1982. She practiced medicine at a government hospital in Kabul, but after a few months was forced to flee for her safety to her native Jaghori, where she provided medical treatment to patients throughout the remote areas of Central Afghanistan. In 1984, she fled to Pakistan. After working as a doctor at the refugee branch of the Mission Hospital and distressed by the total lack of health care facilities for Afghan refugee women, she started a hospital for Afghan refugee women and children in Quetta.
In 1989, she established the Shuhada Organization and Shuhada Clinic. The Shuhada Organization operates 12 clinics and 4 hospitals in Afghanistan and Pakistan, all dedicated to the provision of health care to Afghan women and girls. These health facilities provide services in Bamiyan, Ghazni, Ghor, Wardak, and Kabul provinces, and in Quetta. In addition, the Shuhada Organization runs training programs and reproductive health education projects for nurses, community health workers and traditional birth attendants. The organization opened a Science Institute in Pakistan in 2001 to train young women and men as physician assistants, science teachers, and emergency medical technicians.
Dr. Samar also has been a leader for education for Afghan women and girls. The Shuhada Organization operates 55 schools for girls and boys in Afghanistan and 3 schools for Afghan refugees in Quetta, Pakistan. During the Taliban regime, Shuhada's schools in Central Afghanistan were among the few academic girls' primary schools; the organization's girls' high schools were the only high schools that girls were able to attend in the country. The Shuhada Organization also ran underground home school classes for girls in Kabul. Following the collapse of the Taliban, these home school classes became the basis for two above ground schools for girls that now teach 800 students. In addition, the Shuhada Organization runs English and computer courses, adult literacy and income generation programs for women in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Shuhada Organization also has established the first and only shelter for vulnerable women in Afghanistan. The shelter provides a safe environment for women who have no guardians, are at risk of violence, are poor, and are not able to earn a living. The goal is to provide these women and their children, not only with shelter and food, but also with opportunities for education and training so that they can have better lives and eventually be able to support themselves.
Numerous international human rights and women's rights organizations have recognized Dr. Samar for her leadership for women. Her awards and honors include the 1994 Community Leadership Award from Roman Magsaysay Award Foundation in the Philippines; 1995 Global Leader for Tomorrow from The World Economic Forum in Switzerland; The 1998 100 Heroines Award in the United States; The Paul Grunninger Human Rights Award, Paul Grunninger Foundation, Switzerland March 2001; The Voices of Courage Award, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, New York, June 2001; The John Humphrey Freedom Award, Rights and Democracy, Canada December 2001; Ms. Magazine, Women of the Year on behalf of Afghan Women, USA December 2001; Women of the Month, Toronto, Canada, December 2001; Best Social Worker Award, Mailo Trust Foundation, Quetta, Pakistan March 2001; International Human Rights Award, International Human Rights Law Group, Washington, DC April 2002; Freedom Award, Women's Association for Freedom and Democracy, Barcelona July 2002; and Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, New York October 2002.
ORGANIZATION
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission denounces any human rights violation anywhere perpetrated by any individual, group or state. AIHRC is responsible to protect and monitor human rights within Afghanistan. United Nations High Commissioner on human rights and UN human rights Council are the official organs to monitor human rights in international level and are responsible to take cases of human rights violation committed in Iraq into consideration. Likewise, on the base of four Geneva covenants, called international humanitarian laws, addressing international and civil war rules as well as civilians and war prisoner's condition on war zones, the International committee of Red Cross is also following up the situations in Iraq. In addition to UN and international committee of Red Cross, international nongovernmental bodies such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watchdog monitor human rights situation in international level.
For more information, visit The Shuhada Organization
submitted nomination
- Dr. Samar was nominated for the Perdita Huston Human Rights Award by the Feminist Majority.
relevant articles
- Forthcoming
CONTACT
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