Fireside Chat, Interview, Conference Presentation
Mrs. Laura Bush - A Conversation on Empowering Women in Afghanistan: Talks at GS Session Highlights
- Laura Bush highlighted her book We Are Afghan Women, published by the Bush Institute, which profiles 29 extraordinary Afghan women, including Manisha, a featured guest.
- Bush's focus on Afghanistan intensified after September 11, 2001, driven by the observation that marginalizing half the population created a "failed country."
- The book features Mina Shirzoy, whose visit to Afghanistan was originally planned as a three-week trip in 2002 but extended to 13 years after witnessing a barefoot child polishing shoes in the cold.
- Bush argues that economic and civic success correlates directly with female participation, noting that women were not granted voting rights in the U.S. until 1920, emphasizing the need for patience in nation-building.
- Manisha, returning to Afghanistan in 2003 after fleeing at age three, discovered that women were incarcerated for crimes such as running away from forced marriages or being deemed guilty of adultery after being raped.
- Following these discoveries, Manisha's organization established the first women's shelter in Afghanistan in 2007, a network that has since expanded to 32 facilities and assisted over 21,000 women.
- Bush noted that new Afghan First Lady Rula Ghani is currently reviewing prison sentences for women incarcerated under similar circumstances.
- Manisha characterized Afghanistan's situation as the result of 40 years of destruction spanning the Soviet invasion, the Mujahideen era, and the Taliban, estimating that reconstruction will require at least 40 additional years.
- She countered narratives of stagnation by citing progress since 2002, specifically the establishment of an educational system now enrolling millions of girls and boys.