By Hogai Safi

Lately, there are lots of discussion about women’s right in Afghanistan. As I was watching news and social media, I saw some misrepresentation of this group. As an Afghan housewife I want to express my opinion about it.

The true representatives of Afghan women are Not the one’s who are screaming for their right in the street of Kabul, rather they are majority of the women who are voiceless.

Women are the victims of 40 years of wars in Afghanistan. There are women who lost 4 or more of their children but no one even hear about them. Their homes and livelihoods were destroyed. Million have been also widowed, that made it difficult for women who never worked outside of their houses and suddenly have to feed their family. Moreover, It was a daily stress for the women thinking of death when their family members go outside for work or even school. They never knew whether they would come back home alive! These women in general were the victims of war in both sides of conflicting parties.

Despite, pouring billions of dollars by the international community in the last 20 years in Afghanistan, there is little done to benefit women. For example, most of the money went on war and corruption. Unfortunately, there were lots of money corruptions under the name of women rights, which did not benefit the women for their basic needs, for example education or health care.
Still, there are many women die from lack of access to healthcare, or lack of doctors during childbirth. Either, the mother die or newborn not survive. It is a tragic of our century. Worse, prenatal care is out of question in Afghan women. We don’t even have a standardized hospital in the whole country. Many are traveling with difficulties to go for treatment to other countries. Not every one can afford it.

Majority of Afghan women are traditionally modest women and love their culture and tradition. They have been living their lifestyles for centuries like this. Unfortunately, the women who are asking freedom on the street of Kabul is strangers and unacceptable for majority of Afghan women, because Afghan women want basic needs, peace of mind, security, and preserving their dignity more than anything else.
Afghan women are very brave and self sufficient. They beard most of difficulties during all time, but quickly overcome these problems as time goes.

Therefore, it is not appropriate to ask for the kind of women rights that is not priority for majority of Afghan women in Afghanistan. Instead, It will be helpful to promote the women cause in Afghanistan as long as it respects their culture and religion.

*The writer is Afghan girl living in US 

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