Iowans are being encouraged to take part in walks under the banner “Walk So They Can Read” to support the empowerment of women and girls in Afghanistan. Dorothy Paul, Iowa coordinator for the walks, says the lives of Afghan women have been demolished under Taliban rule and in the recent military actions.Paul, of Iowa City, is associate director for community affairs at the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights. She’s now organizing what she hopes will be several walks in Iowa, the first of which will be held in Iowa City.Reports say only three-percent of Afghan women are literate, and most have no access to clean water, energy, sanitation or health care. Paul is encouraging other Iowans to take up the cause and take part in their own walks, runs or bike rides. She says she’s been very moved by the plight of women in Afghanistan and hopes Iowans will have compassion.For more details, contact Paul at (319) 338-1230 or via email at dorothy-paul@uiowa.edu. There’s also a website: “www.uscommitteeforUNIFEM.org”.