Considering Afghan Women

“Madam secretary/senator/first lady/everything” – Hillary Clinton, that is – got the lioness’s share of the media attention during an event at Georgetown last Friday afternoon.

There was plenty of attention to go around, with Mister secretary/senator/presidential candidate/veteran – John Kerry, that is – also present, along with Laura Bush and longtime Clinton aide Melanie Verveer. It was Kerry who applied the overloaded job description to his predecessor.

The purpose of the event was to bring attention to the situation of women in Afghanistan, following on the presentation the day before of a million-dollar prize to an Afghani Muslim woman who has taken a lead role in creating educational opportunities for her countrywomen.

I hesitated to write about it over the weekend because the situation of women in Afghanistan is so complicated that a dozen years after 9/11, I don’t fully understand it. As it happens, Katherine Marshall of the Berkley Center does understand it, and she ventured right in. One element of the situation, she explains, is the running conflict between people who see Islam as simply an obstacle to the advancement of women in Afghanistan and people convinced that Afghan women need a greater voice “in all matters, including the future way that Islam and faith are understood.”

As it is in Afghanistan – in this, at least — so it is in the U S of A. But it’s sure a sign of progress that Hillary Clinton can now be introduced as “Madam secretary/senator/first lady/everything” without the fact that she is a woman being a big deal.

• 19 November 2013