Statement made on 10 December 2009 by Senator Sharon Carstairs (retired)
Hon. Sharon Carstairs:
Honourable senators, my question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. In late November, I received a delayed answer concerning the rights of women and female parliamentarians in Afghanistan, which I had asked on October 27.
However, my question was very specific to Malalai Joya, a parliamentarian who was banned from sitting in the Afghan Parliament in May 2007, and who is still banned from sitting in the Afghan Parliament. That particular banning has been condemned by 150 countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, including our Canadian delegation.
The delayed answer made absolutely no reference to Madam Joya. My question is: Has the Canadian government made any intervention on behalf of Madam Joya in Afghanistan?
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