Stories from Women
Azada | Pashtoon | Zia - Click on the links below to read these women's stories.
Azada's Story
Azada was the third wife of an Afghan car dealer who went back and forth between wives in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “I endured the cruelty of my husband because I didn’t have other choices,” says Azada. Exiled in Pakistan, Azada eventually got permission from her father to divorce her husband – and returned to Kabul to support her two growing children. There she enrolled in rights awareness classes and, with the help of Women for Women International, learned a trade. Her most prized possession is her certificate of employment. “I never thought that one day I would have the opportunity to support myself without a man,” she says. “Now I can do it. I am doing it!
Pashtoon's Story
Beauty Parlor Training is a favorite among participants at Women for Women International’s Afghanistan Chapter. Under the Taliban, working in a beauty parlor was unacceptable. But 180 women have broken cultural barriers to participate in Kabul, Parwan, and Kapisa provinces. With these new vocational skills the participants will be able to work interesting and steady jobs while generating income to improve the lives of their families and the stability of their communities. Below is the story of Pashtoon, one of the participants that is taking advantage of this new training.
Pashtoon grew up dreaming of one day owning her own beauty parlor. The Kla Klan resident understood that running her own business could provide a steady income that would protect her and her family from the devastation of poverty and unemployment. She dreamed of achieving self-reliance and devoting herself to work she enjoyed and was good at. War shattered these dreams. When the Russians invaded Afghanistan in 1978, Pashtoon realized the fight for survival would replace her dreams of independence and economic stability.
Soldiers occupied her village and forced Pashtoon and her family out of their home. Homeless, they sought refuge in Afsar, a region to the west of Kabul, and life became increasingly painful. Her husband was killed in a rocket attack in 1992. Still grieving, she knew she must now be the sole breadwinner for her two sons and two daughters. Pashtoon also mourned the loss of three close relatives. Her world was unraveling slowly.
Pashtoon had little time to grieve the tragedy of her life. She knew she could not stop fighting for her family. She suddenly became the only woman left in her family to raise her motherless grandson, whose parents had died during fighting in the area. Her two sons had fortunately survived and found work. But the money they made was not enough to support the entire family. Every day, Pashtoon and her children struggled to simply to feed their family.
In December 2004, Pashtoon learned that Women for Women International was giving aid and support to socially excluded women living in and around Kabul. Pashtoon soon discovered that the Afghanistan Chapter offered beauty parlor training. She was excited at this opportunity. She hoped that by learning these skills she could find employment. For Pashtoon, employment meant that all the years of impossible struggle would be over. Her family would have food; her grandson, a child born during horrifying destruction, would have a future.
Pashtoon Now…
Pashtoon’s new-found joy and enthusiasm is apparent to anyone who sees her working with other women in the program. In joking with her friends, she laughs and says, “You are so young. Oh don’t think that I seem old and have no interest in beauty parlor! See I do! And you will soon see me with my own shop. This is my hope and pride.”
Having survived the war, Pashtoon’s dream meant more to her than before. Before owning a beauty parlor would have meant fulfilling her own fantasy. But things changed. She carried the weight of war and the exhaustion of being the sole provider for those she loved. She had carried all this for years but now she could at last let it go. Hope for survival kept her going, but hope for a vibrant future was something she had nearly forgotten. For the first time in a long time, she renewed her ambition and the passion of her past. Her dream was alive again.
Pashtoon has changed dramatically since joining Women for Women International and participating in the beauty parlor training. She is now aware of the strength and power behind her own choices. “Now, I know that women can learn about their rights which have been ignored by society. These rights can get women out of calamity. This makes me so hopeful for my future.”
Zia's Story
Zia, a 45 year-old wife and mother, came to Women for Women International-Afghanistan's office holding one pair of knitted socks. She, like most women in Afghanistan, suffered under the Taliban regime, where women were not allowed to attend school or work; appear in public without a burqa; use cosmetics; play sports; wear bright colors; or even laugh out loud. She struggled to support her 7 children and husband, who was debilitated from a heart attack. Women attending classes at our offices watched Zia as she knitted socks and asked questions. It soon became apparent that many women wanted to learn how to knit like Zia. Zia was hired by Women for Women International-Afghanistan as one of our first vocational skills trainers. Zia is pleased to share her knowledge, "I earn money for my family and share my skills with other women. I am proud to teach others."
