Inspiring inclusion at KRAN
By Roya, Media Ambassador
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD, 8 March) is Inspire Inclusion.
I am from Afghanistan - but have lived in the UK since I was two - and am looking at IWD from my own perspecitive and experience. Through friends and family, I am aware of the challenges Afghan women face in my home country: progression in terms of their rights and their inclusion in society has continuously been stagnated by politics.
In the early 1900s, significant reforms were introduced and women’s rights progressed. This is in contrast to today, where under the Taliban, women and girls have been banned from attending universities and school after grade six since September 2021, erasing over a century’s worth of progress.
I know that many Afghan women have amazing dreams with inspirational motives but unfortunately, can no longer progress in achieving these dreams due to the current regime (with many fleeing the country).
Women in Afghanistan today
Women in Afghanistan have aspirations to integrate in wider society and create a better future for themselves, mainly due to the fact that they have grown up with war.
Many aspire to become doctors, engineers and journalists. I have witnessed this in visits to my homeland, where my cousins were always so focused on studying for the ‘Kankor’ exam, the country’s university entrance exam.
The Afghan saying “Our pen is our only weapon” reflects their desires to create a better Afghanistan through education. Many of my female cousins received places at Afghanistan’s prestigious universities but since 2021, have been unable to attend.
The Taliban claims that it is improving the Afghan economy, and although this may be partially true (evident in the Afghani being the fastest growing currency of 2023), how can a country truly progress economically if half the population cannot access higher education and have been excluded from society?
In addition to restrictions on education, the Taliban has also banned makeup salons which were a form of social life for Afghan women, as well as a source of income for those who did not go to university.
The Taliban has also announced that women should only be seen by female doctors but with the current ban on female universities, there seems to be no next generation of these doctors. This reflects the lack of reason in the rulings given and rather it reflects the desire to control women. Women cannot progress educationally or socially, and this has led to an increase in child marriages as Afghan women feel as if they have no other options for their future.
What KRAN does to help female Afghan refugees in the UK
Afghan women have bright dreams and at KRAN we strive to help them reach their full potential. We want them to feel included wherever they decide to go and the Learning for Life programme helps prepare them for further education. All sorts of activies are organised - everything from drama to cricket (which is really popular with the Afghan women!), and day trips to dance.
There is also a women’s group which meets weekly to develop a sense of community. This helps many of the Afghan female refugees regain the sense of social life and inclusion that they may have been denied in Afghanistan.