LaShonda Williams
September 9, 2011
11:50 am
Blog #2
Tabasom, a woman in her 20’s describes how women in Afghanistan are reaching new heights to tell their stories and become heard by others. Women in Afghanistan lost many of their rights after the Taliban seized power in 1996. This forbid all women from working outside or leaving their homes without a male relative. The Taliban were driven from power in 2001 but women’s rights are still being looked at as an unimportant issue. Afghanistan was recently named the World’s most dangerous country for women,” in a survey conducted by Trustlaw Women. At this time it is not safe for women to travel alone because of killings that have already occurred. Being constrained to the house has kept women from having jobs, working outside of their homes, and meeting other women in society.
However, these women have found a way to reach out to one another and allow others to hear their stories. “Afghan Women’s Writing Project”, has become a way that women are expressing their lives, political commentary, and even poems. Most of the women who write use only first names or they remain anonymous due to the fact that they have to continue to live in Afghanistan in order submit their writings every month. Ms. Hamilton, a reporter who worked in Afghanistan helped the women turn their small writings into something a little more publicized. She introduced these women to activist and other writers to serve as mentors. Although the writings are gaining a bit more public attention secrecy still remains a priority because many of these women are afraid of what their families would think or the local authorities. Many of the topics that these women write about are not only personal issues but issues that many women in Afghanistan and around the world face. Arranged marriages, unexplained disappearances, political issues, not being allowed to work, and getting a proper education are just a few things that these women choose to write about. All of these issues are important to these women and being able to express their opinions seem to be “an act of activism” as Ms. Hamilton described it. In 2003 a woman named Malalai Joya, made international headlines when she delivered a speech denouncing war lords because she felt that they where anti women. Joya, received many death threats and suspension from Parliament and she recorded all of her struggles that she wrote in a memoir titled, “A Woman among Warlords.”
Having only writings to voice a struggle or even an opinion must be hard for these women. There is no woman that should have to be forced to stay inside with no outside communication, education, or the ability to work and establish their own independence. The fact that there are women who are trying to stand up and create a better life for women in Afghanistan is remarkably brave since they face so much fear and live dictated lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/world/asia/07iht-letter07.html?pagewanted=1&ref=afghanistan
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