Fighting for the Weak

Security and freedom – two words, which have been mentioned so many times during the last days. Now, as I am sitting face to face with Lida, 27, from Kabul, these terms find a new dimension.

With a strong, clear voice she is unreservedly telling about her life, her work and the situation for women in Afghanistan. Her awake gaze meets my eyes directly as she starts telling her history.

Lida has lived in Pakistan most of her life after her family had to flee a civil war in her home country, Afghanistan. In 2001 after the overthrow of Taliban, her family decided to return to Kabul. Although Lida didn’t foresee her future prospects in Afghanistan, she came with her family:

- The first reason why I went was to work for Afghan women over there.

She found work in a policy and advocacy organization promoting women rights.

In 2004 the Afghan constitution was instituted, the country became an Islamic Republic. The improved situation finally made it possible to her to start her studies in Management with focus on Political Sciences – unthinkable under the Taliban regime.

- Besides of my studies, I am working full time in my organization - Lida says in a tone that suggests that this is the most normal thing in the world. How does she manage it, I wonder.

- Well, it’s difficult – but it’s a question of organization

That, and priorities.

- At the moment, you know the security is getting worse – the first people who are suffering are the Afghan women, because when the security gets worse, culturally men do not want their girls to go to school, don’t want them to go outside of the house, don’t want them to work. They want to protect their wife, their family, theirs daughters from the security situation of the war.

- However, this repression of the women’s personal freedom keeps women non-educated, shy, unconfident and inferiors to men. And there are some men who are exploiting this: - We are facing at the moment that there is a lot of sexual violence - Lida tells me.

- Very young girls are being raped by policemen, for example. This is a big issue in Afghanistan right now, because policemen are authorities, it’s very hard to punish them, to catch them, and even if they are captured by other police, of course they will have some connection, and they will be released very quickly. Unfortunately. 

According to estimates, 25% of all Afghan women are victims of sexual violence.

Lida has much more to tell about women’s problems, what far-reaching consequences psychical and physical repression, family violence, forced marriages, brutal husbands can cause.

- Self-demolition is a big issue at the moment. In Herat, one of the provinces in Afghanistan, it has become quiet common, they even burn themselves.

It’s a logical conclusion: Either they fight, or they demolish themselves. However, there are only few who fight. And so it becomes necessary that the strong ones fight for the weak ones. Like Lida.

She has established an organization herself few months ago. Its name is “MODE”, short for “Modern Organization for Development of Education”.

Alongside her studies and her fulltime-job she is establishing “MODE”, herself being a board member.

- The only way to help women out of their hopeless situation is to teach them how they can be on their own, to educate them - Lida says.

Of course, it would also be important to give the hurt women psychological support. There are already many psychologists and places where women can take comfort and which help them to treat what they are suffering under. However, afterwards when they return to their houses and nothing has changed. Although a law concerning violence against women exists, it is not yet the prior legal guideline in Afghanistan.

So Lida thought there is necessity for sustainable support:

- My organization is mainly working on capacity building to enable women to a self-economic life, to not being dependent to anybody else. Education is very important. Then they can earn money, they can have a better life. So this is the first objective we have.

The next step is to work on concrete business designing for women, how they can make profit:

- You see, it’s all about self-independency.

The work is done voluntarily. Mostly Lida and her colleagues take the opportunity when foreign speakers are in the country to ask them whether they could do a workshop for their organization.

- We are still in the upstart – we just have received our first grant, very soon we will publish our website – but women are already coming - Lida says.

When I ask her about how her work is considered in Kabul, for a moment she loses her glad expression.

- It is very difficult for women to work outside the house.

She has never been physically attacked, but the way people look at you – or not look at you – is just as bad. Besides, Lida needs to leave the house very early in the morning, when it is still dark in Kabul. However, she got used to not feeling secure. She gives a shrug, saying - Well, you need to suffer for your good work - and her smile is back.

Lida quickly became aware of the fact that she was quiet privileged having supportive, liberal and well-educated parents, who wanted to assist their daughter, and not to repress her.

Realizing that so many girls and young women around her were suffering, she found it was up to her to help them getting a better life, as the one she has:

- When I see other women, they don’t have enough confidence, they are not independent, like me. I have a good life, I want them to have that, too.

Her biggest wish is to finally get a stable government in Afghanistan, which ensures peace, strengthens women’s laws and especially observes them. Then maybe she can walk along the street, alone, without escort, without being stared at because she wants to help the repressed.

Then maybe she might feel secure and free in Afghanistan.

by Julia Balanowski