Education; a Turning Point for Tragedy

The names in this story have been changed to protect the identity of those mentioned here:

This is the story of a young couple. Like too many others, it ends in tragedy. Like too many others, it involves a woman regarded as a second class citizen. Her life is meaningless to those around her. But if they had valued her, for all she was worth, she may have been saved.

Sardar married Shahla when he was 16 years old. The two were matched beyond their will; she was only 13. They had two daughters and a son. Sardar, Shahla and their children lived with Sardar’s mother and his brother’s family. At the time this story took place, Sardar and Shahla had been married for 6 years. She was 19 years old…

Sardar was a farmer, but like many others he struggled with the burden of extreme poverty. Ultimately he was unable to support his family, so he traveled to another province to look for a job. It was difficult for him to find a job, as he was illiterate with no skills or education. Though he looked for many months.

After one particularly exhausting and long day, Sadar came home disappointed. The only thing on his mind was how he was to take care of his large family. The moment he returned home, he asked his mother about his wife. She did not realize the extent of her son’s exhaustion and unhappiness, nor did she realize the affect her words would have.

His mother ranted, “Your wife has been gone; shopping with your sister- in- law.” She complained despite the fact that it was the first time Shahla had gone shopping. The way his mother bitterly said this made it seem as though his wife had gone shopping everyday, neglecting her duties as a wife, while he was out looking for a job. In any household, this might seem like an insignificant bustle between husband and wife. In Sadar’s household, this one confrontation would have dire consequences.

Now infuriated, Sadar reacted by screaming at Shahla when she was back from shopping with her sister. He scorned her, telling her that as a housewife it is her responsibility to look after his family and his mother. This verbal reproach led to physical beating. As Sardar continued beating his wife, neither her sister nor his mother tried to stop him. By the time he was finished with her, she had so many broken bones and ghastly wounds that Shahla was rendered completely helpless. While she endured misery and abuse, no one was there to save her.

Shahla became ill for several days; she was left completely immobile from her husband’s beating. Her husband and in-laws refused to look after her or take her to the hospital. As a result of her injuries and neglect, she passed from this world and left behind two daughters ages four and two, and a five-month-old son.

This tragedy, though heartbreaking, is not uncommon. More women and girls have been killed in the last fifty years as a result of gendercide, than have been killed in all the battles of the twentieth century combined. In the far eastern countries like China and India, the practice of sex- selective abortion has been banned as a result of the gross disregard for the importance of female life.

Consider this story posted in Le Monde on March 28 about women in Afghanistan being imprisoned for ‘moral crimes’ such as running away from home and adultery. According to the Afghan government, this is a simple enforcement of Sharia law. However, Afghanistan is the only country in the world that interprets Sharia law this way. This gross misinterpretation has women being imprisoned because they lack rights as human beings.

There is a distinct connection of income, education, and the perpetuation of this old world treatment of women. In countries like Afghanistan, and Pakistan women are treated as possessions, and there is a well accepted belief that they are not worth the investment of an education. Instead, it is believed that their worth is at home and providing labor for menial work. Ironically, countries that invest in education for women are much better off. And that is the investment that Barakat is making to develop these countries to their full potential.

Thus, at Barakat we believe education is a human right.

“Investment in girls’ education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world. The question is not whether countries can afford this investment, but whether countries can afford not to educate more girls.” –Lawrence Summers, former chief economist of the World Bank.

Investing in Girls

Today marks the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day, and this year’s theme is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.”  Barakat operates schools and literacy courses for women and girls in South Asia, believing that equal access to education is crucial to reducing poverty in the region.

In many parts of the world, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, girls are less likely than boys to attend school, be vaccinated, or see a doctor.  A recent TIME essay discussed the importance of investing in girls in the global fight against poverty.  “Investment in girls’ education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world,” wrote Larry Summers while serving as chief economist at the World Bank.

Girls who attend school for at least seven years typically earn higher wages, marry later, and have fewer children than those with less education.  Fewer dependents per worker leads to greater economic growth. Women are also more likely than men to reinvest their income in their families, buying things like books, medicine, and malaria nets.

Development experts say part of the solution involves providing girls with access to schools and health clinics with programs designed specifically for them.  Helping girls realize their potential will require the support of entire communities, including mothers, fathers, teachers, and religious leaders.

Barakat has witnessed the vital role of supportive family members in our initiatives such as the Girls Scholarship Program in Pakistan.  Scholarship recipient Surayya has four siblings.  Her father is a carpet weaver and her mother is a tailor.  She says, “My father wishes that all of his children get an education, but due to lack of funds he cannot afford our studies.”  Surayya is fortunate to have parents that support her education rather than sending her to work, and with a Barakat scholarship she can continue her studies.  “Education is not necessary for males only,” says Surayya.  “I want to be a well-aware Afghan girl who is able to understand her rights.”

American girls are also getting involved in this cause.  High school girls in the Boston area have held fundraisers for Barakat’s Girls Scholarship Program to support students like Surayya.  The United Nations Foundation has started a campaign called Girl Up, which encourages American girls between the ages of 10 and 19 to give a “High Five” to girls in developing countries by donating $5 to provide school supplies, health check-ups, and more.  Actions like these display how the next generation of leaders is already making progress to improve the lives of girls around the world.

Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

The government of Afghanistan wants to take control of shelters for abused women, accusing the organizations currently running them of corruption and misuse of funds.  The Afghan Women’s Network, a coalition of human rights groups, has strongly denied these allegations.  Pressure from the international community may convince the Afghan government to change its mind.

The United States has expressed concern over the plan.  “While we recognize that the government needs to monitor shelters, it is important that civil society be allowed to operate these facilities independently,” read a statement by the US State Department.

Activists in Afghanistan have protested the move as well, saying state-run shelters could put women’s lives at greater risk.  Sima Samar, chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, has demanded that women be included in the decision-making process in Afghanistan.  “Peace cannot happen without respect for human rights and of course participation of women as half the population.  We need to recognize women’s existence and include them in all the policies,” said Samar.

“People are not educated,” said Huma Safi, program director at Women for Afghan Women, which runs several shelters.  “If women and men knew their rights in Islam and Afghan civil law, then we wouldn’t have violence.”

Teachers at a training workshop

This controversy demonstrates the powerful impact that Barakat’s Teacher Training Workshops for Human Rights can have on Afghans. Educating teachers about human rights, and in particular the rights of women, is the most effective means of spreading knowledge to the community and the next generation of voters in Afghanistan.

About 180 teachers attended nine Barakat workshops this school year, including 85 women.  Afghanistan Country Director Aaq Mohammad said, “All the participants expressed that they have learned that human rights are really urgent for society.”  As more people in Afghanistan become educated about women’s rights, the country will be able to make progress towards greater gender equality.

On the Love of Learning: Lyla Sees Dedication of Students in Pakistan Firsthand

Here’s the next installment in blog posts from Barakat’s interim executive director, Lyla Hardesty, in her three week journey to Pakistan:

“What’s your name?”
“My name is Zalifa,” came the confident but reserved reply.
“Zalifa, why are you in school today?” I asked.
Zalifa shot a quick glance at her teacher, her eyes asking if this was a trick question
“Because I want to learn to read,” she said.

 

Lyla with male students at Barakat Evening Elementary School

 

Duh, she must have been thinking.

Ok fine, maybe it was a dumb question.  But I wanted to hear it for myself, hear from Zalifa and Shukriya and Zara and all the rest that they were in school to learn.  I talked with many girls like Zalifa this evening, girls who come scurrying into Barakat Elementary in their brightly colored clothing (and sometimes a little after the bell has rung) with books in hand, ready to learn.  And I mean ready.  Most of these girls have worked all day long weaving  carpets with their families.  Their fingers and eyes are tired, but their minds are sharp, and they love being in school.  They love learning Dari, math and English.  In fact, I’ve found more female math enthusiasts among the Afghan refugee community here than I’ve met in the last 10 years in the US.  Not bad.

In the first class I introduced myself, telling students my name, where I’m from and why I’m in their class.  Then I said:

“Miss Sumera [Barakat Pakistan's Country Director] told me about you girls coming to school, and I was so excited to meet you, and now here I am.”

 

Students at Barakat Evening Elemenatry School, ready to learn despite a long day

 

After this sentence left my mouth, I paused, overcome with emotion.  Yep, I thought, that’s exactly why I’m here.  Looking around the room I was moved by the dedication of these young women, some of them as old as 19 and married, all of them standing firm in the face of significant cultural opposition to sit in this classroom and learn to read.

No matter who I talk to here–Pakistanis, Afghans, teachers at other schools–the story is always the same.  “Afghans here don’t usually send their children to school, especially their daughters, and especially Turkmen.”  I have about 400 girls who would tell you differently.

Check out our website for more info on our programs! Check back for more updates from Lyla, as well as for updates on education and women’s issues in South and Central Asia!

Suicide in Afghan Women: Where’s the ‘It Gets Better’?

Very unfortunately, suicide exists in every society. In individualized cases, it can be written off as stemming from individual problems, but what of the suicide of entire demographics?  Mounting suicides in any community prompt the question of whether some trends in social forces are at work. A recent New York Times exposé by Alissa Rubin describes widespread suicide amongst women in Herat Province, in Western Afghanistan.  The article reports that more and more women are trying to commit suicide with cooking oil and matches, widely available resources for even very poor women. The article, difficult to read at times, shows that social problems in Afghanistan have shaken some women to their core and made them feel like there is no way out.

 

Herat Province, in the West of Afghanistan lies close to the borders with Iran and Turkmenistan

 

One featured woman, Farzana, a bright woman who endured years of abuse by her husband, turned to burning herself. Farzana survived and Rubin had this to say about her experience: “After 57 days in the hospital and multiple skin grafts, she is home with her mother and torn between family traditions and an inchoate sense that a new way of thinking is needed.”

What is the new thinking? Where does it lie? How is it brought about? This article, while informing readers of a very grave issue, doesn’t explicitly imply a light at the end of the tunnel. Where can we look to help these women? Change, of course, is not easy to come by, but it is always possible. Increased access to education for these women will not only help them alleviate themselves from poverty, but it will also help them to get married at later ages and also to understand that there are easier ways out than dousing yourself in cooking oil. It is impossible to understand how difficult many of these women’s lives are, but it is possible to inform ourselves about the problem and support the resources that will help these women to rise above these abject conditions.

What do you think? Comment below and get the discussion going about how best to make women’s lives around the world better. Don’t forget our Facebook and Twitter!

-Elizabeth Peyton

Soap Operas in Afghanistan: New Ground for Social Change?

Photo Source: Life Magazine, November 2009

According to a recent article by the New York Times, all the world’s a stage in Kabul, Afghanistan. Or at least it’s becoming more so as a new entertainment industry is crafted to broadcast alongside the widely viewed sector of Indian soap operas.  The profiles of female characters featured in Afghan soap operas are some of the most telling descriptions of life for women in Afghanistan today. While Afghan soap operas attempt to hold a mirror to the difficulties of life in Afghanistan, especially for women and children,  the dangers that female actors face stall the progress that could result. Female actors face death threats from people that they don’t know, but the more immediate concern is disapproval and violence from their husbands or male relatives. Elizabeth Rubin, the article’s writer claims that many women who dare to act on tv shows face disowning from their own families or claims that they have tarnished their own or their families’ honor. The persevere however, often acting in secret or in spite of their families’ wishes.

We might think of an extensive entertainment industry as extravagant, especially in a country where people whose houses don’t have windows or running water have televisions and avid soap opera viewers.  This, however, is just not true. We have learned from the explosive Bollywood film industry that movies and tv shows  provide great perspective into the cultural values of other countries and command audiences of hundreds of thousands daily. In a country like Afghanistan where women’s rights  are notoriously disrespected and abuses to these rights go under-reported, exposure to social issues through a nationally broadcasted lens might be one of the healthiest antidotes to the problem.  Like women who decide to run for office, female television stars lead their generation in voicing these issues, though often posing a danger to themselves. The women featured in Rubin’s article use their stardom and the income from their acting to advance other careers. Afghan soap stars by day are also teachers, police officers and mothers.

At first it might be strange to think that social change is being headed by the Afghan entertainment industry, but Rubin’s article shows that this could be a platform for social change unexplored by progressives in Afghanistan.  We can’t underestimate the power that entertainment channels have over our social climate — hopefully intense social conservatism won’t stifle this platform before it has a chance to blossom.

Have a thought to add? Feel free to comment below! Don’t forget to tweet us your thoughts @barakatinc!

Hope for Aisha: Taliban Victim Honored with Award and New Nose

In what has become one of the most recognizable photos of 2010, readers of Time magazine were placed face to face with violence against women in Afghanistan in the magazine’s July issue. The photo of the brave girl who is only known by her first name, Aisha, exposed the unbearable conditions she had continued to  lived under, when her face was mutilated last year. Aisha’s story let Western audiences know that violence against women in Afghanistan is an issue of paramount importance, and one that cannot be hidden any longer. While the Taliban was technically dissolved in 2001, strongholds of Taliban resistance still exist and are in operation, as can be seen by the violent actions taken against Aisha and many other women like her.

Photo Source: BBC

While Aisha’s story was grim and heartbreaking, the tides turned this past week as she was honored with an award and the chance to have the constant reminders of her horror mended. Due to the widespread exposure and debate over her story, Aisha, highlighted in a previous post following the interview she gave for Time, was honored by the Grossman Burn Foundation with the Enduring Heart Award. She received the award from Maria Shriver in California where she also received a prosthetic nose and a chance to begin her life again without the daily reminder of her suffering. At 18 years old, she was being abused by her husband, a Taliban fighter and ran away. She was captured by her husband’s family and  had her nose and ears cut off and was severely beaten.

Aisha’s new start is some of the most refreshing news out of Afghanistan this week after the death of Mohammad Omar, a governor in Kunduz province whose death marks  Taliban violence in the normally  more stable north of Afghanistan. At the same time, the fragile security situation cannot create an ultimatum between, as President Hamid Karzai speculated in the Time article, “[...] protecting the right of a girl to go to school or saving her life.” I think we are all thankful that Aisha’s horrifying past has a chance for a new beginning, but let’s not forget that Aisha’s situation was not unusual. The more girls that are educated and empowered, the less of a chance the Taliban stands. So let’s stand together for Aisha and Afghan women whose stories we don’t read in major publications, but who remind us of the work that remains unfinished.

-Elizabeth Peyton

Got a comment? Start the discussion below or tweet at us @barakatinc!

Girls as Boys in Afghanistan: Raising Questions about Gender Issues

Imagine you spent your life thinking, acting and socializing as a boy, only to find out that you were in fact, a girl. Not only that, but soon after your gender identity was completely altered, you had to get married to another boy. Such is the case for many adolescents in Afghanistan.

The New York Times has probed into this unique aspect of Afghan culture which has gone unrecognized by the majority of the world.  This idea of changing gender, which may seem unbelievable to people in Western Cultures is something that has gone on in Afghanistan, maybe for centuries. Practices like these allow us to stand back and ask, well what is gender, anyway? We are used to thinking of it as something that defines everything in our identities, right down to the hats we wear and the toys we play with as newborn children. Despite the major emphasis on gender differences in western cultures, however, there is still relative equality. In Afghanistan, however, society is structured so that men are still valued more and have more freedoms than women.

To deal with this reality, in an exhibit of what historian Nancy Dupree calls “creativity,” families will often dress up their young daughters as boys. If they do this, their “boys” will be allowed to leave the house and shop in markets freely. They will also give their families greater social standing within their communities because they have sons. Girls will assume these identities throughout their childhood and then oftentimes abruptly resume their female identities before marriage. This means that they can no longer leave the house as freely, that they must make all female friends and that they must get permission from their husbands for most things. This is a huge shock after the autonomy they had as children!

While people do not often suspect girls of masquerading as boys, this practice is not a rare occurrence in Afghanistan. Barakat’s own schools are no stranger to this phenomenon. Our Program Director, Arti Pandey wrote about this occurrence in the Boston Globe after observing it in a Barakat school in Qurghan District, Afghanistan.  Arti’s recap of Azaad’s story showed how this practice was used during the terror reign of the Taliban.

Now that people outside Afghanistan are starting to learn about it, it creates a new conversation about gender segregation and identity shifts. Is this a unique cultural facet that will allow the heavy restrictions on women in Afghanistan to stay in place, or is this a provisional practice that may allow for greater opportunities for Afghan women so that they may empower themselves in their youth and grow up with knowledge of greater freedoms? The fact is that this practice has been going on for so long (many of the mothers of girls masked as boys had done the same thing as children), but as more women are becoming educated and taking jobs in political, social and medical sectors, this could signal a shift that allows for greater freedoms for young women. Either way, the discussion about global views of gender won’t end here.

What do you think about this practice? Comment below or shoot us a tweet @barakatinc!

Let’s Hear it for Mozdhah: Afghan Singer, Model, Activist

TIME Magazine calls her Afghanistan’s “part Oprah, part Hannah Montana,” but her real name is Mozdhah Jamalzadah.

Jamalzadah, 25, is a singer-model-actress who was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, but raised as refugee in Canada. Jamalzadah completed a program of study in Broadcast Journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and is currently studying Philosophy and Political Science at the University of British Columbia, according to her website.

She has modeled for Fashion Week, Cosmopolitan, and Asian Woman Magazine; recorded award-winning and chart-topping hit songs such as “Afghan Girl”; and even performed in the White House for International Women’s Day 2010.

Now, Jamalzadah has returned to Afghanistan, and hopes to use her fame to address the issues of women’s rights in Afghanistan as the host of Afghanistan’s new television talk show, The Mozdhah Show.

The show consists of performances by singers, skits, games, guest speakers, and a live audience. By blending comedy and entertainment with active discussions on family issues—even taboo topics, such as divorce—Jamalzadah hopes to spread change to her home country.

“What I am trying to do is introduce women’s rights slowly, without people noticing…I see through my audience an opening up of Afghan society,” said Jamalzadah in a recent interview with TIME Magazine.

Although Jamalzadah is a national celebrity, she has also drawn heavy criticism—and even threats—from some for her western dress and controversial subject matter.

But she refuses to let anything deter her. Rather, says Jamalzadah, she will continue, because she is beginning to see changes, even in the participation of her show’s audience:

“The women and girls, they feel like they can speak out. They are more confident,” she said.

Whatever she is—whether it be Afghanistan’s Hannah Montana, Oprah, or both—she definitely is a true inspiration to her nation, the world, and us here at Barakat.

Written by: Lisa DeBenedictis

Girl’s School Attacked in Pakistan

For many of us at Barakat, a step forward feels like it’s sometimes met with none other than a rude push right back.

For the past couple of months, Barakat has been working to establish a new scholarship program in our Pakistan schools for female students who’ve performed well academically and wish to pursue higher education. (To learn more about this initiative, check out our upcoming July newsletter, or read about our sister program in Afghanistan.)

But amid the fundraising, planning, and selections, we read the news.

According to an article in  Iran’s media organization, Press TV, a girls school in northwest Pakistan was bombed on Monday by unknown militants. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but the five-room schoolhouse was utterly  destroyed.

Courtesy Press TV

The school was not one of  Barakat’s; it was a government-run school in the Sheik Baba area near Khar in the Bajuar agency region.

Although the militants remain unnamed, the Taliban, who outwardly opposes female education and has been responsible for many similar acts in the past, is highly suspected.

At times like these, it is difficult to understand why these acts of aggression are taken against those who are least capable of defending themselves, and it is easy to feel dismayed and let down.

But the government of Pakistan refuses to give up, and neither do we.

Pakistan has vowed that despite the violence, it will not shut down any of the girl’s schools.  And here at Barakat, we promise that no matter how many times we’re pushed, we’ll continue to move forward.

Click here to help.

Written by: Lisa DeBenedictis