Women for Women

Women for Women
How Afghan Women
Fight for Freedom and Equality
by Nora Farfar
It is a well known fact that Afghanistan is a state
full of tragic and hopelessness. It has become
famous for being a state of pain and war during its
history. Afghanistan has been suffering for more
than 30 years in war, which has a special influence
on women. The greatest cause for womens pain is
the Taliban group because of their fundamentalist
anti!women mentality and attempts to enforce its
strict interpretation of "haria law. #ut what e$actly
does all of this mean for women%
&arriage in early ages, obeying totally to men, and
ha'ing almost no rights are (ust some of the
restrictions. )ape, 'iolence, brutalities, and
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kidnapping of young girls and women are daily. As
a conse*uence more and more parents wont e'en
let their daughters go outside or attend school
because they fear attacks of the Taliban as it has
already happened se'eral times. It seems that
womens destiny in Afghanistan is to suffer, while
the only thing they want is li'ing in peace and
freedom.
#ut in spite of all these
suffering, women do not
abandon the possibility of
getting a life they deser'e, a
life without pain, and rights for
e'eryone + someday.
Ne'ertheless we can find
courageous and bra'e women, who fight for their
rights and (ustice in public. ,owe'er, it is
impossible to change something in Afghanistan
without financial aid from outside. Thats why such
manifestations are a good initiati'e to call for the
go'ernments and
international attention.
&anifestations of
such include hundreds
of women, which put
their life on the line.
Though it is possible
that counter!protesters
throw stones and
gra'el at women. -thers e'en shot at them. .omen
are hurt or killed for applying and protesting for a
peaceful life.
To support the ideas of raising the state,
Afghanistan recei'es many donations from western
countries, which indeed is helpful for its citi/ens.
,owe'er, most of the money is used for technical
support in urban cities. A huge lack e$ists in this
donation system0 pledged aid is often late or
undeli'ered, high!le'el of corruption is another
reason for the lack of money.
-ther donations are spend for education, health,
agriculture, and to the go'ernment. #esides the fact
that all of this is helpful for Afghanistan1s attempt
to raise the country, women do not really know how
to deal with this de'elopment. For this reason
women need some special support. .omen who
need such help are women who ha'e lost
e'erything e'en their last dignity. This women do
not know how to return to life without help.
,owe'er, bra'e women, who fight for their rights
also need to be sustained to continue fighting, in
order to change something. Thats one of the reason
why fundations for women
rights and health such as
Women for Women
International (WfWI) and
Women’s Empowerment
Programme e$ist. These
fundations ha'e a huge
interest in helping women
where they most need to be
helped. They mostly are supported by pri'ate
financial and emotional contributors of all o'er the
world co'ering basic necessities for women, their
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family, and pro'iding an emotional lifeline to them.
The WfWI also offers donators being a "ponsor of a
"ister. That means supporting a women with
monthly 302, helping her through a year!long
training. Af first she will be co'ered by all the
basics necessities as food and a safe place to li'e.
3uring the programme she will learn skills to
support her family and transform her life. ! .omen
will learn essential (obs skills and how to create her
own business, such as wea'er, cook, baker, etc.
4olunteers, working with this programme, teach
woman their real citi/ens rights and important
knowledge of nutrition and health. 5ducation is
offered in order to such as decreasing the number of
illiterate women in Afghanistan, which is up to date
678 high. .omen will learn how to li'e again and
be part of society, with all of their rights they
deser'e.
&aybe now someone is asking9 3oes all of this
really help to change something in Afghanistan and
does it benefit womens beha'iour% .ell, according
to the WfWI, women in Afghanistan are optimistic
about the future and its a powerful finding that
indicates that women are the future of Afghanistan,
and that in'esting in their optimism is the best way
to guarantee e'entual success and to rebuild their
life. .omen who recei'e help, can help other
women and teach them what they learnt. 5'ery
contribution a person does, can help women
rebuilding her life and the life of other wi'es.
3oing so, people can collaborate in womens
positi'e de'elopment, which also is re*uired for
great de'elopment in Afghanistans state, and
finally raise the state in order to be a stabilised,
without gender discrimination state. 5'eryone who
has a stabilised financial life can help one of these
women to mo'e forward in life.
.ith this special one!year programme you can be
in letter contact with the woman you help, seeing
pictures and ha'ing a personal relationship, which
also gi'es her a special emotional support. :ou can
be part of her life, seeing her continually positi'e
de'elopment.
"ome inter'iews made by WfWI show that women
who attend to the special one!year programme ha'e
much more knowledge about politic and social
issues than women, which did not attend to the
programme. "ome women with that programme
raised up her own business ;e.g.9.ea'er< letting
them earn their own money helping the family
sur'i'ing. According to WfWI studies, 7=8 of
women who passed the one!year programme train
and mentor other women in their communit and
>38 are earning an income. This is an ama/ing
ad'ancement, which means that women are on the
right path rebuilding her life successfully.
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.omen being helped by us ha'e the chance to
make a really important change in their life.
"uporting women in Afghanistan contributes a
positi'e effect and process on them, and a positi'e
de'elopment in Afghanistan. ?eople like you and
me can help in changing things. In other words,
with few effort we can support women who really
need changes, women who are courageous and
dared to fight for their rights, feeling more
confident, and growing up her self!esteem. .e can
be a part of their success of ha'ing a better,
calmed, and social life. To see hope and a smile in
their faces is the sign that we did something good,
they will always be thankful for.
For further information you can 'isit the following
website
http9@@www.womenforwomen.org@global!initiati'es!
helping!women@help!women!afghanistan.php

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