THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE AFTER 15 AUGUST IS THAT FEAR RULES OUR LIVES AND THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN SECURITY THREATS. I ALWAYS LIVE IN FEAR

Zarina

Humanitarian worker, Baghlan

After graduating from university 10 years ago, I worked for various organizations in social sectors, communications and humanitarian programmes. After the fall of the Government, my family’s economic and psychological situation deteriorated completely.

Because my husband worked as consultant for a lawyer in the Parliament and also had several companies in our province, when the Government fell our companies were looted.

I’ve had to support my two children alone because my husband had to leave the country, due to security threats. I worked with an organization involved in distributing humanitarian aid until recently, when the Taliban banned women from even working in non-governmental organizations NGOs. The institution terminated our contracts and now I have no job.

Among all the problems, the biggest blow has been the trauma. Living life alone and in fear is the main challenge for me. Our fear is not only of the Taliban. Our fear was of the local people who were opponents of the Government in the past, as my husband worked with the Government. Our opponents united with the Taliban to harass us. They said: ‘If her husband is not there, but his family is, then we should take revenge through them’.

When I entered the workplace after 15 August, we were in contact with the Taliban whether we liked it or not. I wanted to show them that women are not as weak as they think.

I once witnessed the Taliban beating a young man for no reason. We women went to stop them. It was difficult, but we managed to convince them. It is difficult for women and this group to work in the same environment and for them to get used to the presence of women, but it is not impossible. Efforts will come with results. We must try and show that we are also part of the population of Afghanistan.

Today, I was invited to an engagement ceremony for one of the educated girls in the family, who is not yet an adult. Not only do people not support girls and women, but they also force them into underaged marriages. Every day, I see girls forced to marry by their families.

If men stand by women, we will get results. Afghanistan is a patriarchal country. If men stood by women in international NGOs, women’s work would not stop. Humanitarian aid is vital for people and people are alive because of this aid. If men stood for women, certainly everyone would support us, but I saw that men went on with their duties without us and most of the international organizations also continue their work without women.

I BELIEVE ADVOCACY FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS IS THE ONLY WAY OF SUPPORTING AFGHAN WOMEN AND GIRLS