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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Mary Diaz

Aired December 01, 2001 - 16:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: The international community is closely monitoring talks in Germany over Afghanistan's future. And many want to ensure that equal rights for women will be restored in whatever government replaces the oppressive Taliban.

And joining us now is Mary Diaz. She's executive director of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children in Afghanistan. So glad you're with us here today. No doubt you've been watching the situation in Germany. And are you encouraged at all by reports that there are three female members, delegates now taking part in those talks? Or is that not enough?

MARY DIAZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WOMEN'S COMMISSION: Well, it's not enough. But of course, it's very, very encouraging, given what's happened Afghan women in the past few years under the Taliban. And I do know one of the women. She's extremely strong, very vocal. And I think she'll bring her voice to this and really pressure that Afghan women are involved in the new government.

CALLAWAY: You know realistically, what kind of role could women have in that government? We're talking about, you know, 20, 30 years of women being oppressed there. And some, including the young women, have known nothing but war.

DIAZ: Yes, that's true. But I think we have to remember that Afghan women have a long history of involvement in all kinds of phases of life, including political life.

They have been part of drafting the constitution. In the '60s and '70s, they were part of the national assembly. They've been -- they are doctors and lawyers, aid workers 70 percent of women in some cities are the city's educators or the school's educators.

CALLAWAY: Right.

DIAZ: And that's all very important to think about when thinking about reconstruction.

CALLAWAY: And it is important to remember, because the Taliban doesn't want anyone to remember that. How eager are these women to get back to work in Afghanistan?

DIAZ: Well, I think they're very, very eager. And there are dangers. So we have to be realistic, too, about the dangers. They know the dangers better than anyone. They have received bullets in the mail saying if you continue to do this work, if you continue to teach our girls, you know, this bullet is meant for you and your family. So those kinds of things, I think, they're very wary about. They're very concerned about.

I recently spoke with one Afghan woman leader who's been working in the refugee camps. She said, "I'm ready to go back and I'm ready to build schools and to get involved, but I am worried. It's a very dangerous time in Afghanistan."

CALLAWAY: Is it going to take a lot of rallying by the women, who perhaps, are more optimistic and a little bit fearless to get some of the women who have been so in some of the oppressed regions? Some seemed to have been more oppressed than others to make this change?

DIAZ: You know, I think that's very true. You'll find in rural areas, women will continue to wear the burka, even though they may be told you don't have to wear the burka. They've worn it because that's part of their culture and part of their tradition. And I think the important part is that they have a choice that they can choose to wear the burka or to put it aside and to get fully involved in all kinds of other activities.

CALLAWAY: How important is it that the West be involved in helping this -- women are -- is this dangerous point, that perhaps the West should stay out and let the Afghan women do this on their own?

DIAZ: Well, I think it's been extremely important to have the West involved. I think the Bush administration, the Blair government in England, the Germans who hosted this meeting, they've all put pressure on to make sure that women are involved. And that's why, for a large reason, you see these three women in Bonn. And I think that's really, really critical.

And that will have to be sustained. We'll have to continue to see that, in order to see women involved in the governance of Afghanistan. Because you know, of course, oppression of women predates the Taliban.

CALLAWAY: Right.

DIAZ: And the Northern Alliance, some of those factions, are extremely conservative and will say they don't want to see women's involvement.

CALLAWAY: Taking baby steps, aren't we?

DIAZ: That's right.

CALLAWAY: Mary Diaz, thank you for joining us today.

DIAZ: Thank you.

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