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CNN Live Sunday

Thoraya Obaid Discusses Future of Women of Afghanistan

Aired November 18, 2001 - 15:40   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Under the Taliban, women's dress and movements were strictly controlled. For more perspective on the future of women in Afghanistan, we're joined now by Thoraya Obaid. She is United Nations undersecretary and the executive director of the United Nations Population. She's also the highest-ranking woman in the U.N. Ms. Obaid, glad to have you join us. Thank you.

THORAYA OBAID, U.N. UNDERSECRETARY: Thank you very much.

KELLEY: Can you, from the people that perhaps you've talked to or the reports from, tell us what it's like for women right now, how they're feeling?

OBAID: Well, our office in Islamabad who deals with Afghanistan has been sending reports and women and girls have also been sending reports, and they are all saying this is the new period, a new life for women in Afghanistan.

KELLEY: They've been under an incredible amount of mental and emotional pressure as everyone has been able to hear in a lot of the reports. Do they feel a certain amount of freedom now, or are they still fearful?

OBAID: Well, you know, it's a fluid situation and it will differ from one woman to another, but certainly who are aware and have great faith in the future are the ones who will be more courageous to come out and try to do some changes.

KELLEY: What do they miss? What do they want to do now? What are they looking forward to?

OBAID: Well basically what any man or woman in the world wants. The women want to be able to have health services especially, the doctor health services so that they don't have to die when delivering. They don't have to have complications of pregnancy and birth. They want the children to be happy. They want to be able to work. They want their girls to go to school. It's what every person on this earth wants.

KELLEY: And in fact, education and health care are a couple of your main concerns, aren't they?

OBAID: Yes, particularly health. We support, we advocate for girls' education. We work with others for it. Our other particular area is to make sure that the health services are provided are sensitive to the needs of women, and therefore they would have to respond to the needs of women through the various reproductive health cycles.

KELLEY: I was seeing earlier that the U.N. Populations expect to be in Afghanistan within the week. Where do you go first? What do you concentrate on first?

OBAID: Well we have offices in the different areas, provinces, and it just depends where the most safe, we will go there and where there are the greatest congregation of people who have returned or are there.

So we are in the purpose of making this transition and we hope that we can open our offices again, as you say, within next week.

KELLEY: Thoraya Obaid who's the executive director of U.N. Population. We're glad to have you join us today. Thank you so much.

OBAID: Thank you very much.

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