NOWADAYS, WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE SUFFERING VARIOUS LIMITATIONS AND FORMS OF VIOLENCE IN AFGHANISTAN
Shamzia
“I have a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science. I have 22 years of work experience in different fields, like human rights and gender. I served on a municipal advisory board for four years. I participated in many national and international peace conferences. I also worked as a girl’s high school headmistress for 17 years.
But now, due to the ban on girls’ education from grades 6 to 12, I am jobless and doing nothing.
Before the 24 December ban on women’s work in NGOs, I was busy with some activities like spreading awareness about women rights, conducting sessions for youth in homes to encourage and push them to not lose hope and keep trying to achieve their goals. But since the ban I had to stop conducting sessions at home.
My whole life has changed. I was the only breadwinner of my family. But I was not only working to support my family; rather, I was also serving other women. I was active in media and I always raised my voice for women and girls’ rights. But now, I’m facing financial issues and am not able to support my family and my children.
I am over-aged now, but I worry about young girls who had hopes and dreams.
Without education, women and girls have no future in Afghanistan. Education is the only way we can achieve personal growth and find success. If there are no educational opportunities, then a country’s future is totally dark.
After 15 August, I continued participating in meetings and consultations to raise women and girls’ voices and speaking on behalf of women, even in media. After 15 August, I conducted several awareness sessions for girls at my home to encourage them and unite them, but after 24 December, conducting such sessions became challenging and impossible for me because I received threats. So, I can no longer gather women at my home.
I hope that Afghan women and girls will be allowed to get an education and return to work as soon as possible.
Only the international community can support women and girls in Afghanistan. Without the international community and the UN no one has the power to support and stand with Afghan women. Afghan women need the international community’s attention and support, now more than ever. The international community should force the de facto authorities to reopen schools and universities and allow women to work.”
