Sayed Sohail

Women have different roles in Afghanistan and have seen positive change over the years. Now they have positive roles in politics, there are now women as MPs and holding positions as district leaders and governors. Women can be seen in entertainment and taking part in sport activities, women now have better access to an education.

However women’s roles in Afghanistan are still not as strong as men in our community, although this is slowly improving day by day as we see women taking part in different civic engagement within the community.

There are many international organisations and civic engagements programs which place women’s rights as a top priority in Afghanistan. And if the situation stays like this in future I believe that the positive change seen will be more constant and sustainable for women in Afghanistan.

Some of the challenges still experienced by women are a lack of education in rural areas and no access to health care. Fanatic culture and old customs among the community still pose a threat to women, for example, some men do not think it correct for women to be working outside of the house, domestic violence is also a problem.

We therefore have a big challenge to change the mentality and ideology of some of the people in Afghanistan, while some issues may be easier to address the issue of peoples ideology is more challenging to change. We also need to address the role men have in women’s lives because sometimes we see cases of men forcing women into addiction, prostitution, under age marriage and so forth, and the women have no power to do anything about it.

My aspiration for afghan women therefore is mainly freedom, having the right to work outside the house, to be independent, have access to the justice and legal system. For this to happen they need to be given awareness and have the ability to go to support and information centre to help them with their issues and problems in the community and so on.