Attacks on Education for Girls

On January 1, a militant group from the Swat Valley in Islamabad, Pakistan attacked a van carrying employees from a community center, killing five female teachers and two aid workers. According to an article by the Associated Press, militants in this region of northern Pakistan have blown up schools and killed female educators because they view them as promoters of a foreign and liberal agenda.

 

The attack serves as another reminder that the lives of women educators and aid workers in Pakistan are consistently at risk by Islamic militants who oppose their work. It also highlights the ongoing challenges that NGOs, like Barakat, continue to face in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the brave women educators and aid workers who lost their lives defending future generations’ rights to education. Barakat thanks the NGOs who continue to make a difference in this region and are proud of the educators and staff for their courage, dedication, strength, and leadership. We also are grateful for the local communities who support our three schools in Attock, Punjub.

Really Rad Rugs!

Our Yayla Field Trip

Pictured are Karmen and Laura, two very enthusiastic interns, in front of Yayla’s storefront!

Yesterday, the Barakat team made a trip to Yayla, a tribal rug merchant based in Cambridge. This company, started by Chris Walter in 1980, has dedicated its efforts to several projects in central Asia and the Indian sub continent. Yayla began working with rug makers in Turkey, and expanded to working with Turkmen refugees from Northern Afghanistan. Today, Yayla supports rug weavers in areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal.

Yayla is primarily a wholesale rug merchant, but also sells out of its storefront on Broadway Street in Cambridge. The shop is unpretentious and Chris and his staff offer a warm welcome, echoing the warm colors of the ethnic carpet designs.

The shop is composed of four large rooms at street level and another large room below, all stacked high with rugs of varying sizes and colors. Yayla rugs are special because they are died with all-natural vegetable dies. This gives each one a unique look. Yayla is also proud that each rug is hand made.  Pointing to a 6’x9’ rug, Chris told our Barakat crew that it probably took about 8 months for two artisans to weave. The amount of labor necessarily is reflected in the rugs’ prices, but Chris explained that the higher quality and longer durability actually made them a better buy in the long run than other kinds of rugs.

When asked about the meaning behind each design, Chris chuckled and said that ancient weavers created stories for each rug to give them special significance, but that today they are created mainly for styles of market demand, though they have not entirely lost their cultural significance.

But Yayla is much more than just a Tribal rug dealer, it is also the corporate sponsor of two nonprofit organizations, Barakat and Machik.  Both originated from a vision of enhancing the lives of the people that Yayla supported through rug selling. Chris founded Barakat in 1999 after almost two decades of work in central Asia and India. The opening of the first school in Attock, in the Punjabi region of Pakistan, was inspired by his observations of their acute need for education, especially for women.

Yayla’s mission is to bring fairly-traded rugs to the Western world, and by doing so, support the value of people’s skills, while affirming their human dignity.  Barakat is an extension of Yayla, providing educational opportunities to the people working in Yayla’s facilities and in their communities. What was once an entrepreneurial venture has now evolved into a series of educational programs in the region.  By believing in and investing in the marketability of skillfully made wares, and by offering educational opportunities to those who would otherwise not have them, Yayla and Barakat share a mission to help a number of people create a better life for themselves.

Yayla put down roots as a rug merchant in communities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and India. Through the two organizations, Barakat and Machik, Yayla has branched out into more directly humanitarian programs of providing schooling opportunities where they would otherwise not be available.
Meet the Interns! From Left to Right, Laura, Brooke, Steven, Deepa, Jaimie, Karmen and Neela!

Violence Toward Women Slowly Becoming Not OK in South Asia

Passing laws against domestic violence may not guarantee safety for women in some parts of the world, but it is a start. Legislation has been proposed in Pakistan that would make domestic abuse illegal. It covers a broad spectrum of acts including emotional abuse, deprivation of financial means, and wrongful confinement. Currently, women can report their husbands for assault, but it is rarely punished and most often overlooked. This bill would go above and beyond covering atrocities such as acid burning, which is still extremely prevalent in Pakistan.

Another precedent was set in neighboring India last month, when the courts came down tough on the perpetrators of an honor killing. Five elders were sentenced to death or life sentences for killing a young man and woman of different sub-castes who eloped three years ago. Never before have the courts ruled so harshly on a practice that has, in the past, been considered a cultural practice. The five that were given the death sentence were the bride’s brother, cousins, and uncles. The local village administration leader was given a life sentence.

These actions are major steps toward insuring better protection of women in societies in which their intrinsic value may not be considered as great as men. However, these laws and legal precedents will only protect some, and often, those in rural areas will not benefit. Police officers tend to look the other way when horrific crimes are committed, especially in cultures like Pakistan, where ultra-conservative Islam prevails, and in India, where the caste system is still deeply engrained in societal values.

Many women in Pakistan continue to be victims of horrific abuse such as acid burnings. Their husbands and sometimes in-laws will throw acid on these women, horribly scaring them and sometimes causing blindness and permanent restrictions in movement. One woman recalled her crime for such a punishment: refusing to immediately wash the dishes after a meal.

Laws against domestic abuse will only go so far. One doctor suggested punishment for those who sell the acid as well. This is another positive step in the right direction, but even more must be done. The best way to improve the lives of these women is to improve their social standing. These areas are extremely poor and usually illiterate. Women who are victims of abuse often have no other choice but to stay with their husbands because of economic concerns. At Barakat we believe that women in Pakistan who are educated are much less likely to be victims of domestic abuse, or at the least, will not stick around in dangerous situations. If women understand their rights and their options, they hold the power to determine their futures.

The Acid Survivors Foundation, an organization based in Bangladesh, has helped some of these women restore their dignity. One woman has been learning to knit sweaters and can once again take care of her children despite damage to her eyes, which has left her completely blind. Another vows to open a beauty shop to prove to her husband and others that she is a survivor and the acid burning did not cause her to lose hope.

No Access to Justice for Girls in Afghanistan

Just because women no longer get stoned in public in Afghanistan, does not mean that a functioning law enforcement or judicial system will guarantee them justice. Afghanistan’s prisons are packed with women facing charges of “moral crimes.” Many of these women are actually girls, under the age of 18, jailed for activities hardly worthy of punishment by their own parents, let alone the judicial system.

The girls are being held for things such as running away from home (which is sometimes categorized as kidnapping—a crime committed against oneself, by oneself). Although there is no law against this, or the other so-called crime of walking down the street with a male of no relation, Article 130 of Afghanistan’s constitution allows courts to “rule in a way that attains justice in the best manner.” This often means punishing young girls that may simply be straying from social norms.

Sometimes young girls, whose marriages are arranged by their parents to much older men without their consent, will try to escape this fate by running away. Others have been accused of adultery because of similar circumstances. Once these girls are put in front of a judge, they have little hope of coming out on top. If they speak up they are seen as rebellious, and if they keep quiet they are seen as guilty.

The only cure for this over-sensitized criminal justice system, will be more participation by women, in civil society, and in the government. Women must show their government that this treatment of their daughters is not OK. Women must be the ones to amend these laws. The ability to participate in politics is at the core of our mission in Afghanistan. At Barakat we believe that the education of women is essential for a functioning democracy. If Afghanistan has any chance at successful reconstruction, women must be involved.

If women cannot speak for themselves who will speak for them?

The Other Victims of Extremism–The Mothers

In July of 2009, President Obama made a speech in Ghana in which he said, “It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars.” Although the conscription of children in wars is a phenomenon often associated with Africa, it is a problem that has infected many other areas of the world as well. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with other countries in the region, the use of children by extremist militants is systematic and disturbing.

Watching videos that depict the training of children to become “warriors,” it is hard not to ask yourself, “How could you ever send your son here?” That’s because from a western perspective, it’s incomprehensible. In these areas, however, families are so poor that it seems to them that the best future for their children is religious schools. These schools provide necessities that the parents sometimes can’t. Yet they sometimes also provide something else. A future headed toward hate and, death.

Of course, this is not always the case. In the West the term madrassa (which in Arabic literally means, a place where learning or studying is done) has gotten a negative connotation mistaken to mean “terrorist training camps.” But most madrassas are simply schools. Religious or secular, madrassa can refer to a variety of different kinds of learning institutions. They usually refer to schools that provide training to become imams, or religious leaders. A very small portion, however, are training children to become soldiers in a “holy war.”

In targeting the root of this problem, it would be difficult to go after those who run these schools. For them, the ideology is set, their mission seems clear, and if one “school” is destroyed another could easily pop up the next day. Targeting the values of a society would be the alternative. In an article by the Christian Science Monitor, mothers of children recruited for extremism in Pakistan’s South Waziristan express their concerns for their sons. Their placement in society as women of very conservative, traditional families makes their opinion stifled and suppressed. They are afraid to protest the action of family members, but do not agree with them.

Greg Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, believes that educating women can transform these societies. Not only would education bring greater economic prosperity for their families and communities, it could also help change the currents of extremism that so brutally take hold of these areas. At Barakat, we agree. We believe that the best future for the children of these areas is one of hope, not one of ignorance. In our upcoming printed newsletter we also discuss how important educating boys is. These mothers currently cannot provide a better future for their sons. It may seem hopeless but it doesn’t have to be. Education can be the first step to a brighter future for these little boys and their mothers.

Women on the Front Line in a Battle for the “Hearts and Minds” of the Afghan People

The sway of public opinion, both domestic and international, can drastically affect the outcome of a war. The U.S. Marines seem to have just realized that they have no idea how half of the population in Afghanistan views them. That’s because women rarely interact with the male dominated U.S. forces on the ground. Next month they will send the first “female engagement teams” to try to better connect to the female population in Afghanistan. Since a large portion of the population of women feel uncomfortable talking to men, especially soldiers, these women will bridge the gap between U.S. forces and Afghan women.

These women will undergo a completely different kind of training—one of cultural awareness, and people skills. The operation, however, is three-fold. One aspect of it aims to win over the female population by talking with them and relating to them, woman to woman. Another aspect is learning what the community really needs, so that aid can be spent most effectively, and infrastructure can be rebuilt. The last aspect is intelligence related—the possibility that some of these women might have information about the Taliban.

It seems like common sense to utilize every aspect of diplomatic relations in wartime. Perhaps it’s because women in Afghanistan rarely draw attention to themselves, or because we tend to think strictly in military strategy rather than humanitarian strategy, but the fact that Afghan women have been left out of the war-winning equation until now is a little perplexing.  Understanding the importance of women in rebuilding a society is essential. Especially a peaceful society. The narrow focus on war will only perpetuate itself. But a focus on peace, on education, on healthcare, and on human rights will direct society towards stability.

Who knows about these issues in Afghanistan better than women? The women have, after all, been confined to their homes for years. They have had to directly confront the realities of a non-existent infrastructure, and a non-functioning public sector. At Barakat we understand how important the education and health of women are to a functioning society. That’s why our programs focus on equipping them with the tools they need to participate in a democratic society. Worldwide, and especially in Afghanistan, women are the key to a successful future.

International Women’s Day

Yesterday marked the 99^th annual International Women’s Day; a holiday that honors achievements made by women around the world, and brings light to the unfortunate inequalities that still exist. Celebrations took place in all different countries, including a ceremony at the White House. Eighteen countries held a “Join Me on the Bridge” campaign on more than 100 bridges worldwide, which honored women from war devastated areas, and symbolized the crossing over into a better world.

Although there are still glass ceilings to break, and wage gaps to fill here in the U.S., I feel privileged compared to women elsewhere. In the speech that President Obama gave, he talked about his daughters and their futures. Their future seems much brighter here then it would have been in Obama’s previous home of Indonesia, or his family’s home in Kenya. Women are slowly gaining rights, but sadly there is still a long way to go. Sexual violence, inequality in the courts, lack of career opportunities, and extreme poverty still affect countless women globally. Hurting women means a hurting society.

Last month during a conference held at the UN, diplomats, human rights activists, and celebrities alike discussed the changes that need to be made to benefit women. The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, announced the launching of a campaign called, “The Mother’s Army,” which is based on the idea that the health status and education of mothers, and their role as leaders, will benefit their children, especially their daughters. Hand in Hand International and Avon Foundation for Women also pledged money towards initiatives meant to aid and strengthen women.

There will always be tragedies, and one thing to learn from the media is that the tragedies will always be front page. It is easy to recognize them and it is easy to be discouraged by them. What are more difficult to find sometimes, are the inspirational stories. The women helping other women to reach their full potential. At Barakat we know these women. We work with them every day. We’ll be honoring them in all of our publication this month for Women’s History Month. And we aren’t the only ones showing our gratitude for these women. Women organizations across the world are doing the same thing. Women for women international held the “Join Me at the Bridge” walk in New York, across the Brooklyn Bridge. The turnout was tremendous, and despite the ongoing tragedies across the world, I can’t help but to feel hopeful that together, we can all make a difference.

Education Under Attack

Sitting in my classroom at Northeastern University I’m hardly thinking about my safety. I’m not thinking about a bomb going off, and I’ve never missed a class because of a possible attack. There have, of course, been incidents in the U.S. of tragic shootings, but these are few and far between compared to other countries. I doubt that young women around the world feel quite as safe as I do at school. They probably do think about their security every morning, and yet they are still determined to learn.

A new report released by UNESCO highlights the issue of security around the world—32 countries experienced attacks on educational institutions in the last three years. Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India experienced some of the most intense increase of attacks. Whether it is the Taliban in Pakistan or the Maoists in India, groups around the world are extremely opposed to quality education, specifically for women. In Afghanistan alone, the number of attacks on schools almost tripled in one year, going from 242 to 670.

These attacks have various motives, ranging from political to social to religious. Sometimes the attacks have come from a government, such as the UN school in Gaza, which faced fire from Israel during the 2008 Gaza war. Or from terrorist organizations, which either are directly targeting the civilians, or are trying to weaken the government in power by weakening infrastructure. Either way, innocent children are the victims.

This ought to be a major concern. At Barakat we reduce parents’ fears by coming to students instead of them coming to us. We also provide transportation to and from school for teachers, who have been major targets for attacks as well. Either way, these children, and particularly women, face a major risk everyday when they decide to attend school. One day I hope to do something truly courageous; these women do it everyday.

Aghanistan School System to Learn From Turkey

Girls in Barakat Program

The process of democratization is always a long one, and usually painful. No other country knows that better than Afghanistan. Torn apart by war, Afghanistan is struggling to find a way to normalize society again. One of the most important ways to do this is to focus on education. Abdullah Gül, president of Turkey, has pledged to help Afghanistan do exactly that.

Turkey is one of the few truly democratic nations in the region, and has found a way to reconcile a majority Muslim population with a secular government. Their schools incorporate Islam and also boast a very high population of educated women. Because Afghanistan wants to continue to incorporate religion into everyday life, including education, they will adopt Turkey’s model of 40% Islamic teaching and 60% normal curriculum. This system is called imam-hatip and has been extremely successful in Turkey. Six schools have opened already and 62 more are to be opened in the spring. The proposal also includes funding by Turkey for more scholarships for Afghan students to study in Turkish Universities.

Barakat recognizes the effectiveness of respecting culture and religion, and therefore incorporates Islam into their programs as well. Curriculums for the Besh Kapa School, the Mullah Kareem Nazar School, and the home-based literacy courses for girls and women, all include an Islamiyat course, the study of Islam. This is comforting for parents of young girls that are hesitant to send their daughters to school. Thanks to Turkey, hopefully children in other parts of Afghanistan will soon strive in this learning environment too.

Afghan Women and Negotiating With the Taliban

Yesterday in London an international conference was held on Afghanistan to discuss the future of the political arena and whether or not to negotiate with members of the Taliban. Leaders of 65 different nations attended, as did non-state organizations such as the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Afghanistan. Many countries in attendance seemed to be leaning towards an effort to include some low to mid-level Taliban members by seducing them with financial incentives.  President Hamid Karzai suggested this strategy, and $140 million has already been raised to fund the reintegration, $50 million coming from Japan.

On the other side, however, in strong opposition to the plan, were UNIFEM and other Afghan women’s groups. Since the Taliban fell from power, women have made incremental but significant achievements towards full integration into society. With the majority of Afghan girls still without primary education, however, there is still a long way to go. Many women fear, and with good reason, that if members of the Taliban become reintegrated back into society and politics, these few rights that they have attained will be taken away again.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton included a stipulation regarding women’s rights when she spoke at the conference in London. The Women’s Action Plan recognizes that women must be included in the negotiating process and includes initiatives to increase women’s security, participation in politics, and access to basic human rights such as education and medicine.

Mrs. Clinton’s plan is an important one, but it might not be enough. Although women’s rights were mentioned in passing by some other nations, they did not give it the attention it deserves. Afghan women wonder why the conference did not include more representation from those who will be most affected by this change: the women.

In order for Afghanistan to rebuild itself, women must be involved and must play a leading role. Without sufficient education for most of the women population, this is near impossible. Barakat aims to not only provide education, but also to provide women with a comfortable and acceptable environment to learn. Since parents are often skeptical about co-ed schooling, Barakat makes sure that women have either their own classrooms, or can meet at a neighbor’s house for classes.

While the constitution calls for 25% female representation in parliament, Afghan’s parliament is far from meeting this goal: only three names have been put forward by women in the election. This is understandable considering women still have little education, health care, and access to the justice system. They are also struggling against a society that is not accustomed to women in high-power positions. It seems doubtful that including members of the Taliban back into the system will be helpful. World leaders seem to have forgotten that these are the same men that denied a woman the right to get an education, hold a job, or even show her face in public.