In March of this year I convened a meeting with leading NonGovernmental organizations. the Administration. and Afghan women themselves to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and what options are available to the international community to make the lives of Afghanistans women better. Among those participating were representatives of the Department of State. the International Commission of the Red Cross. Save the Children. the Womens Commission on Refugee Women and Children. Women in Refugee Development. and the Womens Alliance for Peace and Human Rights in Afghanistan. among others. We discussed the legacy of close to twenty years of war and bloodshed which has torn apart Afghanistan: More than 1 million people have died. and much of the capital of Kabul lies in ruins. There are more than 50.000 war widows in Kabul alone. many dependent on international humanitarian assistance for their very survival.