8 March 2002 saw an event in Kabul that would have been unthinkable under the oppressive Taliban regime: the celebration of International Women's Day. Two distinguished visitors were in Kabul for the occasion; Mrs Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Bianca Jagger, the humanitarian and women's rights campaigner.

The Afghan Interim Authority is only a few months old, but already much has been done to restore the position of women in Afghan society. The Afghan Interim Authority includes a Minister for Women's Affairs, Sima Samar, and the Minister for Health is a woman. Even the Afghan Army includes female officers, commanding the nursing services. To mark International Women's Day, Mrs Robinson joined a seminar on women's rights at the Ministry for Women's Affairs, along with 40 female soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. Before the seminar, Mrs Robinson joined Major General McColl and a patrol of British paratroopers on the streets of Kabul to see at first hand both the progress that has been made, and the challenges that remain, in restoring the city to normality after the decades of conflict. Mrs Robinson remarked afterwards on the work of ISAF: "I think it is very good, because it's quite clear that this is a welcome and friendly presence that people really appreciate."

Bianca Jagger has also been very warm in her support for ISAF's work as a "force for good". Whilst her forthright criticism of Coalition operations against Al Qaida in Afghanistan is well known, she has nothing but praise for the efforts of the men and women of the International Security Assistance Force. "I found General McColl extremely helpful, very open and direct. He gave me a clear understanding of the role of ISAF, and related issues that are complex." She too emphasised the importance of helping provide security for the Afghan people, and remarked that her experience of a patrol with 2 PARA was most interesting, remarking on the welcome they clearly received from the people of Kabul.

Mary Robinson's message for International Women's Day (UN website)

Bianca Jagger, accompanied by Major Ingrid Hall and Corporal Newell, 2 PARA	Ms Jagger discusses the situation in Kabul with an Afghan officer and an ISAF officer	Major Ingrid Hall with three senior female Afghan Army officers from the nursing service: Colonel Nasima, Brigadier Shala, and Colonel Quamar
Lieutenant Colonel James Bashall, commanding 2 PARA, accompanies Mrs Mary Robinson on a patrol in Kabul (High resolution version)	Mrs Robinson meets a group of Kabul citizens (High resolution version)	Some special words for the children (High resolution version)
Outside the venue for the Women's Day seminar, a young girl helps promote the cause of female education, so long neglected under the Taliban (High resolution version)	Mrs Robinson at the seminar (High resolution version)	Women soldiers from ISAF contingents, including New Zealand, Germany and the UK, as well as US personnel, sit with Afghan women at the seminar (High resolution version)

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