Page 8 - Empowerment and Protection - Afghanistan

“People view women who work outside
of the home as iindecent while they call those women who stay at home iarrsesirpreosnpsoibnlsei.b“ le.“
rabia is a 23 -year-old ethnic tajik who is a university student in Kabul. she is originally from Parwan province.
“W Wh ha at t I I f e f e e el l c co on nt r t i r b i bu ut e t es s t o t o m my y i n i ns se ec cu ur i r t i y t y i s i s b be ei n i ng g a a w w o o m m a a n n l l i i v v i i n n g g i i n n t t h h i i s s s s o o c c i i e e t t y y, , p p e e o o p p l l e e ’ ’s s a a t t t t i i t t u u d d e e s s t o w a r d s g e n d e r a n d l a s t l y t h e g r o w i n g s u p p o r t f o r t t h h e e t ta a l l i i b b a a n n . . I I o o f f t t e e n n o o v v e e r r h h e e a a r r p p e e o o p p l l e e s s a a y y t t h h a a t t l l i i f f e e u u n n d d e e r r t t h h e e t t a a l l i i b b a a n n r r e e g g i i m m e e , , t t h h o o u u g g h h i i t t w w a a s s d d i i f f ii c c u u l l t t , , w w a a s s s s t t i i l l l l p p h h y y s s i i c c a a l l l l y y s s a a f f e e r r. . s s i i n n c c e e t t h h e e y y d d o o n n ' ' t t f f e e e e l l
t t h h e e y y h h a a v v e e s s e e c c u u r r i i t t y y n n o o w w, , t t h h e e y y a a r r e e s s t t a a r r t t i i n n g g t t o o s s h h o o w w
s s u u p p p p o o r r t t t t o o t t h h e e t ta a l l i i b b a a n n , , w w h h i i c c h h m m e e a a n n s s t t h h e e y y m m a a y y
s u p p o r t t h e i r p o s s i b l e r e t u r n . A l l o f t h e s e i s s u e s I b b e e l l i i e e v v e e o o r r i i g g i i n n a a t t e e f f r r o o m m p p e e o o p p l l e e ’ ’s s l l a a c c k k o o f f e e d d u u c c a a t t i i o o n n . . B u t I w o u l d s a y t h a t t h e a b s e n c e o f g e n d e r e q u a l i t y i n o u r s o c i e t y i s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t d r i v e r o f m y
i i n n s s e e c c u u r r i i t t y y. . P P e e o o p p l l e e v v i i e e w w w w o o m m e e n n w w h h o o w w o o r r k k o o u u t t s s i i d d e e o o f f t h e h o m e a s i n d e c e n t w h i l e t h e y c a l l t h o s e w o m e n w w h h o o s s t t a a y y a a t t h h o o m m e e i a r s r e i s r r p e o s n p s o i bn s l e i b . l t e h . i s t h t i a s k t e a s k de s o w n
d m o y w m n o m t i y v a m t i o o t n i v t a o t i d o o n s t o o md o e t s h o i n m g e i t n h i l n i f g e . i n B u l i t f e t . h B e u t
f t a h c e t f t a h c a t t t h w a e t n w o e w n h o a w v e h a e v s e t a e b s l t i s a h b e l i d s h s e y d s t s e y m s t s e , mr u s l , e s r a u n l d e s r e a g n u d l a r t e i g o u n l s a a t i n o d n s l e a g n a d l s l e t g r u a c l t s u t r r e u s c t m u r a e k s e s m ma k e e s f m e e e l f me e o l r me o s r e e c u s r e e c , u b r e e , c a b u e s c e a u I s k e n I o w k n t o h w a t t h i f a I t h i f a I v e h a a v e a p r p o r b o l b e ml e m t h t e h r e e r a e r a e r l e a w l a s w i s n i p n l p a c l a e c t e o t h o e h l p e l p m e m . e n . o n t o t l l i i k k e e d d u u r r i i n n g g t t h h e e t ta a l l i i b b a a n n t t i i m m e e , , w w h h e e n n w w e e h h a a d d n n o o l l e e g g a a l l s s y y s s t t e e m m t t o o r r e e f f e e r r t t o o . .”
very insecure and in fact reinforces the notion
that women are not capable enough to carry on substantial roles and responsibilities in our society.”
illiteracy and lack of education
Many respondents cite illiteracy as a cause of insecurity. The inability to read reduces peoples’ awareness and understanding of their rights and obligations, as mentioned by Zahid. As a result, it is perceived as easier for the government and other security providers to exploit the common people. Illiteracy remains an important security challenge
interpretations of culture and religion, so when I, as a scholar of Sharia, share my views on cultural and religious practices with those at the community level I feel they start judging me. As a result, most of the time I resort to self-censorship. But I would say that the lack of physical security is my main worry. This is actually connected with my sense of lack of freedom of speech. I constantly live in fear that my comments may make me a target of the government or other groups who do not agree with me.”
Orthodox attitudes are seen by some as violating women’s rights and curbing women’s freedoms to realise their full potential outside of the household. Laila, a 27-year-old housewife from Kabul, shares Rabia’s opinion, “The existence
of discrimination against girls and women, violence against women and the constant ignoring of women’s rights and in our society feed my insecurity. These issues originate from lack of opportunities for the youth, elders way
of thinking and illiterate people. At times those who are supposed to ensure our security like
the government and police turn out to be the ones who jeopardise it, especially the police who misbehave with women all the time, and the government which does not do anything about it. In our society, women tend to face these issues more than others, since women don’t have any authority and men treat them like their slaves.”
Sadaf, a 22-year-old Tajik university student in Kabul afirms, “The unequal treatment and position of women in Afghan society is the biggest contributor to my insecurity. For instance, I can’t even leave home without a male escort. This makes me feel
“At times those who are supposed to ensure our security like the government and police turn out to be the ones who jeopardise it.”
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