Colonel (Retired) Alex Ruff, MP and his daughter
Photo Credit: Facebook
Esprit de Corps Magazine November 2024 // Volume 31 Issue 10
Let's Talk About Women in the Military – Column 68
By Military Woman
Question:
Is Parliament really as “broken” as some suggest?
Answer:
Not at all! Let’s take a closer look at how collaboration among elected Members of Parliament (MPs) recently helped six Afghan women parliamentarians find safety in Canada.
Until August 2021, Afghan women were making impressive strides toward gender equality, increasing their representation in Afghanistan’s Parliament. This progress was closely monitored by the international community, with Canada specifically supporting programs that encouraged and prepared these women for high-profile political roles.
Afghan Mission Not Yet Complete
After August 2021, these women became prime targets for the Taliban’s campaign of violence and oppression. Many female MPs, fearing for their lives, reached out to Canada for help as they were forced into hiding or exile. A list of about a dozen Afghan women MPs seeking safety in Canada was collected and shared with Canadian parliamentarians.
By summer 2022, the situation for Afghan women had become increasingly dire, as highlighted in the article “Afghan Mission Not Yet Complete” (Esprit de Corps, Volume 29, Issue 6). Meanwhile, these women MPs continued to wait for the painfully slow wheels of Canada’s federal bureaucracy to turn.
Canadian MPs Take Action
By fall 2022, the urgency of the situation prompted MPs Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc Québécois), Elizabeth May (Green Party), Heather McPherson (NDP), Marcus Powlowski (Liberal Party), Leah Taylor Roy (Liberal Party), and Colonel (Retired) Alex Ruff (Conservative Party) to come together. These six MPs chose to collaborate across party lines to achieve a shared mission: ensuring the safety of their fellow MPs.
“It was because of us [that they are now in danger]. We encouraged them [to enter politics],” one of the MPs emphasized, highlighting Canada’s responsibility to assist these high-risk Afghan women.
In January 2023, shockwaves were felt globally when Mursal Nabizada, a well-known MP on the list of those waiting to come to Canada, was shot dead in her home in Kabul.
It’s a Choice to Call Parliament “Broken”
By fall 2024, six Afghan women MPs, along with Nabizada’s surviving family, had finally arrived in Canada—safe at last.
This humanitarian achievement by our elected parliamentarians is a powerful testament to Canada’s ongoing solidarity with Afghan women. In an era where political polarization often dominates the news, it’s heartwarming to see MPs like Ruff willing to “forget about the partizan baloney” and focus instead on “doing the right thing to help.” This situation shows that bureaucratic red tape can be managed when necessary, and that parliamentarians from all parties can work effectively and respectfully together—when they choose to.
Overall this success story challenges the notion that Canada’s Parliament is “broken.” The determination of these parliamentarians to bring Afghan women MPs to safety offers hope—not just for a brighter future for these brave women and their families, but also for Canada to serve as a model of cross-party collaboration for others to respect and emulate.
Gender Apartheid Must Become a Prosecutable Crime
While we celebrate the success of these Canadian MPs in helping six Afghan women MPs and their families immigrate to Canada, the broader crisis in Afghanistan remains dire. Afghan women continue to endure unbearable conditions, and many more women refugees, including members of the Afghan women’s soccer team, are still waiting for Canada’s promised help.
Canada, along with the international community, must continue fierce advocacy for the reversal of the Taliban’s oppressive policies and the reinstatement of Afghan women’s human rights. As conditions in Afghanistan deteriorate worse than ever imagined, “gender apartheid” must become a prosecutable crime against humanity by the International Court of Justice.
A Call for Continued Action
Canadians extend their gratitude to MPs Duceppe, May, McPherson, Powlowski, Roy, and Ruff, who embody Margaret Mead’s quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Together, these MPs have shown that Parliament isn’t really “broken” and that collaboration is still possible. That’s important news and a source of hope for the many who know that Canada's mission in Afghanistan remains not yet complete.
