Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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It was startling to see in your recent news article (“Evacuated Afghan activist dreams of going back home one day,” Aug. 30, Las Vegas Sun) the effects on women since the rise of Taliban power in Afghanistan. I am concerned about the continued issues this will have specifically for the women and children in that country. Amid emergencies and crises, there is a dramatic rise in gender-based violence (GBV), including child marriage, trafficking and rape, as a tactic of war.
Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. The challenges of conflict, displacement and poverty lead many parents to consider child marriage as the only option to provide for their families.
We can help stop this harmful practice.
In 2013, the State Department and USAID launched Safe from the Start — a program that prevents and responds to GBV during global humanitarian crises. It includes ensuring survivor-centered support from the very beginning of emergencies, and empowering women and girls to be leaders in their communities.
However, this program needs to be codified to ensure high-level leadership and dedicated resources.
Fortunately, the Safe from the Start Act (H.R. 571, S. 765) will do just that. I am asking my congressional representatives, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Susie Lee, to join Sen. Jacky Rosen in cosponsoring this critical bill. Congress can help protect women and girls in countries like Afghanistan from GBV and ensure a safer world for us all.
