March 8, 2007

by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean

I decided long ago that I wanted to spend this March 8, International Women’s Day, with Afghan women to show them how much I admire their courage and to tell them that their achievements inspire hope in women around the world.

Throughout these dark, terrible years, I often imagined the terror of their daily lives and I cried out inside with indignation for all those who could not. For me and for so many others, the hand they were dealt was unacceptable. To attack the dignity of women is to fly in the face of life itself; it is to make a mockery of humanity. Still today, Afghan women face harsh realities on a daily basis. I know that less than 10 per cent of Afghan women give birth with a qualified person present, and that these dangerous conditions are responsible for over 50 per cent of the deaths of Afghan women of child-bearing age. As a mother, it pains me to know that the infant mortality rate in Afghanistan is close to 20 per cent. For some, daily life is so unbearable that they take their own lives. They see suicide as their only escape from unbearable situations, to the point of setting themselves on fire.

I am here, with Afghan women, to tell them myself how convinced I am that we need to take action on their behalf, while remaining respectful of their needs and aspirations.

I am absolutely convinced that women’s participation in the life of cities and villages guarantees progress. The role of Afghan women in Afghanistan’s reconstruction is imperative.

Earlier today, during a meeting with President Karzai, I said that women have always understood how precious life is, that their aspirations benefit the whole country, and that the future of Afghanistan depends on them. Empower women and you will see a decrease in poverty, illiteracy, disease and violence. Today I also visited a school—funded by the Canadian International Development Agency—that provides training opportunities to Afghan women so that they can support themselves and their children with dignity, and help with the advancement of their communities. I have been accompanied on this trip and during these meetings by two exceptional Canadians who advocate for women on a daily basis: June Webber, Director of International Policy and Development for the Canadian Nurses Association, and Francine Pelletier, documentary filmmaker and independent researcher.

There is no doubt about Canada’s commitment: we want to help improve the lives of women in Canada, in Afghanistan and all over the world, and to ensure that their voices are heard.

I learned a Tajik proverb that I will never forget. Roughly translated, it says “the work of one woman is worth more than the views of one hundred men.”