§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received concerning the situation of women's human rights in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement. [107008]
§ Clare ShortHuman rights issues are frequently covered in discussions on Afghanistan between my Department and other interested parties. We have had no specific representations on women's human rights recently.
We remain extremely concerned about abuses of human rights in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan, in particular women and children, have suffered immeasurably as a result of two decades of conflict, destruction and displacement. In pursuing its programme of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, DFID actively participates in the principled common programming approach under the United Nations-led Strategic Framework for Afghanistan. This approach is 386W designed to ensure that assistance works towards the eradication of any form of discrimination, including, of course, gender discrimination.