Oral Answers to Questions

Gemma Doyle Excerpts

Tuesday 19th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Graeme Morrice (Livingston) (Lab)]

4. What recent discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the rights of women and minorities in Afghanistan.

[Gemma Doyle (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab/Co-op)]

10. What recent discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the rights of women and minorities in Afghanistan.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague)]

At the Chicago NATO summit in May, I discussed with NATO colleagues our continuing support for the fundamental human rights of all Afghan citizens and full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The final summit communiqué reaffirmed our commitments in these areas.

[Mr Hague]

We have encouraged the Afghan Government to implement the elimination of violence against women law that has been agreed in principle, and to bring into practice the UN convention on the elimination of all forms of violence against women. We bring these matters up with the Afghan Government regularly and work with many people in the Afghan Parliament to encourage that agenda. I am pleased to say that women now hold 69 of the 249 seats in the lower House of the Afghan Parliament, which bears favourable comparison with some European countries.

[Gemma Doyle]

What is the Foreign Secretary’s response to President Karzai’s endorsement of the code of conduct published by the ulema council of clerics, which permits men in Afghanistan to beat their wives? Will the Foreign Secretary guarantee that women’s rights will not be sold down the river in negotiations on the future of Afghanistan?