PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Ottawa, June 24, 2010
Ottawa Native Counsels the Afghan Ministry of Justice on Gender and Human Rights
CANADEM Technical Advisor Ms Fouz Abdel Hadi has been working with the Afghan Ministry of Justice as a Technical Advisor since February 2009. She trains and assists the Legislative Drafting Unit in integrating modern information technology and mainstreaming human rights concepts in drafting Bills and Legislation. She has also contributed to a series of conferences on Gender Justice in Afghanistan in order to raise awareness on women and men’s human rights in the context of Islam, and to show that these are consistent with international human rights law.
Ms. Abdel Hadi has extensive work experience related to legislative drafting in the Middle East, specifically in Palestine and Afghanistan. She has two Master’s degrees in law. Her LLM thesis, nominated for a prize at the University of Ottawa, provided an Islamic legislative drafting methodology to improve women’s human rights in the Islamic-based family law.
INTERVIEW with Fouz Abdel Hadi
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| Fouz Abdel Hadi (second-left) Speaks at a conference on Gender and Justice in Afghanistan. |
What is the background of your project with the Ministry of Justice? What are its objectives?
In 2008, the Government of Canada committed to assist the Government of Afghanistan in strengthening its public institutions. This support includes the provision of technical expertise, training and mentoring, and equipment and program support.
I work for the Canadian NGO CANADEM as a Technical Advisor in legislative drafting to the Afghan Ministry of Justice, through their Canadian Governance Support Office (CGSO) in Kabul.
The overall objective of my Legislative Drafting Project is to contribute to the enhancement of the rule of law in Afghanistan by increasing the capacity to draft laws that reflect the values of the country, are legally sustainable, and capable of governing its citizens in a manner consistent with a democratic system of government.
Specifically, this project aims to:
1. Enhance individual capacities among Taqnin members so that they can produce constitutional and clear bills in a timely manner.
2. Improve the work physical environment.
3. Improve institutional coordination.
What changes have you seen since you started working with the Ministry of Justice?
The most two tangible changes that I have seen in while working with the Ministry of Justice are:
1. The tendency of trainees to learn Islamic arguments in order to promote human rights;2. The eagerness to learn computer and internet search skills to increase efficiency at work.
I spoke in various international conferences about women’s human rights in Islam. I introduced a methodology to my Afghan counterparts in the law making process to help them protect the principles of equality while remaining true to the Shari’a (Islamic Law). I provided tangible examples “from within” Shari’a sources, to show that it is an evolving law that protects human rights in the same manner as international human rights law.
The impact of my speeches was very positive on the audience. Senior members of the Ministry of Justice’s civil law department have asked me to help them prepare presentations on women’s rights by using Islamic arguments. Also, directors and experts from other organizations have requested my coordination in the area of human rights. They noticed how the Islamic methodology can protect human rights without creating cultural sensitivity.
I have also provided my Afghan counterparts with IT equipment and services to enhance the efficiency of their work. The project donated a computer lab with 13 desktops, 17 laptops for the Taqnin’s (Ministry of Justice) drafters and the Minister, and 9 small printers –all connected to high speed internet. An efficient law database was also designed to house legislation, court decisions, and international law in three languages: Dari, Pashto, and English. Computer, basic internet search, and database management training was also delivered. As a result, the Taqnin members started to replace the use of hard documents by using computers in their day-to-day work.
Why did you decide to come to Afghanistan?
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| Fouz Abdel Hadi, attending a conference on Rule of Law in Afghanistan |
I believe that it is the duty of every citizen of the world to contribute to the development of unfortunate countries within their best capacity. I want to be in Afghanistan. I want to help the Afghan people to progress while remaining true to their culture. After over thirty years of war, both the government and people of Afghanistan want to have peace and security. They want to catch up with the civilized world. They want to have the means that help to achieve these goals including rule of law.
Since my knowledge and experience in the area of legislative drafting and women’s human rights under Shari’a allows me to contribute to the enhancement of the rule of law in Afghanistan, I accepted the work opportunity that was offered to me by CANADEM to implement the two-year Legislative Drafting Project at the Afghan Ministry of Justice.
CANADEM’s Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Justice project is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT).
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For information: Léa Beaudry (Communications)
tel. 613.789.3328 ext 504 / m. 819.360.3252
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