Seven years after 9/11, Laura Bush appeared on Meet The Press and told moderator Tom Brokaw that she intends to continue her work on women’s rights in the country of Afghanistan.  Asked about her plans as her time as First Lady winds down, Mrs. Bush said she hopes to continue her work with the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council  where she established the Laura Bush Afghan Women’s Leaders Fund. She also said her husband’s planned Freedom Institute, which will be a part of the Bush Library at Southern Methodist University, would also provide her with a platform for her continued work on behalf of the women of the war-torn area.

Mrs. Bush’s interest in the plight of women under the Taliban became apparent soon after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, when she took to the radio as First Lady to tell Americans about the harsh treatment of women and restrictions against education for girls under the Taliban’s version of Islamic Law.  Speaking along with Said Jawad, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Mrs. Bush spoke about the significant freedoms that have been achieved in Afghanistan for women and girls, especially in more urban areas.  She also admitted that women are still afraid to pursue studies or careers for fear of violent reprisals by the Taliban.  She noted the recent tragic attack on 50 young girls walking to school, where Afghani men, trained in Pakistan and paid for their efforts, poured disfiguring acid on the children, as an example of the resurgence of the Taliban, and the continued need for people inside and outside the country to take action to prevent such atrocities in the future.