I had a strong connection to Afghanistan from when I was a young Peace Corps volunteer there and, through connections to Afghan students here, thought I understood what it means to grow up female and Afghan. Over the last eight months of frequent, lengthy conversations with female students at School of Leadership Afghanistan, I have come closer to seeing the full picture. Some of our Skype sessions are full of humor and culture swapping, others full of anger and sadness at the intolerance and inequality. We laugh at the irony of Afghan students’ being encouraged to watch Hollywood movies to improve their English and of all the misconceptions about life in the U.S. they imbibe at the same time. We bemoan the discrimination and doors closed by virtue of being female. The assumption that girls have no need for education beyond basic literacy and the fear that more would cause them to question their faith haunt their dreams for higher education.
Demonstration for Women, Kabul
Isolation and oppression feed determination for contact with a larger world among bright young Afghans women. Such determination is demanding and at time I feel overwhelmed with the need to connect through me with that world. Yet, they will carry the light leading theirs and future generations of Afghans to a better future. How privileged to have a tiny part in this revolution.
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What will happen when the Taliban return to power?
Let’s see…the Taliban thinks the place for a woman is in the home, barefoot and pregnant. That sure sounds like today’s Republican party.
President Obama initiated negotiations with the Taliban for its return to power. Perhaps he feels it is closer to the Democrats thinking. By the way, lots of women are registered Republicans.
Getting and staying in office brings one strange bedfellows. I’m thinking of some of Karzai’s public statements over the last ten years as well as our presidential candidates’ promises. Who knows what goes on under the table!
Holding the Taliban accountable to the Afghan Constitution as opposed to trying to wipe them out may not appear any more realistic, but what choice is there? Regardless of what else happens, the Taliban will not have the stranglehold on women it had from 1995-2001 after 25 years of occupation and civil war.
Jill,
I really envy you your relationship with Afghan women and students right now. Thank you for sharing it.
Local friends often show an interest in my experiences with Afghan girls here and those in Kabul. Thus, the blog posting about them. Your comments, like all of them, help keep me posting. Thank you.