DAY 35 - WOMEN'S AFFAIRS I
SYNOPSIS: THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS – THE OFFICIAL AND THE UNOFFICIAL STORY ABOUT WOMEN’S RIGHTS.
The National Archives are located in a stately mansion and organized chronologically. Many fading photographs of emirs and dignitaries provide a chronological overview of the history of Afghanistan. It was quite interesting, but I certainly could not recall the details after just one visit. The museum is divided into two sections: historical documents and photographs and a section on art and manuscripts mainly featuring copies.
One thing is strikingly obvious: Afghanistan has been a country full of struggles, invasions, intrigues, and power wrestling ever since its conception, and if this teaches us anything – the likelihood that this will ever change is slim. Mubin and I spent a good two hours at the museum to take it all in.
Our stop after lunch was not on the itinerary, but since that one had gone out of the window for the most part anyhow, and since I was the only person left on the trip, I had requested it: the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. I had seen it from the car a few times as we were driving through Kabul. I wanted to find out more what was happening there, especially in lieu of talking to “real” women on the street. As much as I had wanted that, it was obviously not happening.
As any secured compound typical for official building in Kabul, you enter it in a zig-zag fashion, get patted down and you have to leave your data with a receptionist. This time, my father’s name was of no interest.
We walked through a garden, which could have been pleasant had it not been obstructed by a series of concrete wall segments. Multi-storied buildings were full of offices – where to go? We found an office with an English-speaking man and a woman in their forties who were willing to take time, talk and answer my numerous questions. They did not even seem surprised that I had come out of nowhere and was not affiliated with any NGO or organization.
Here is in a nutshell what I found out:
Funding for this agency comes from various international donors and organizations; none of them from the Afghani government, e.g., tax-payers. If you ask me that is a problem. Handouts, handouts, handouts! Yes, Afghanistan needs international help. But that the indigenous government is not giving a single penny for this cause is shameful and speaks volumes. The two officials, who after all were in charge of linking donors and various programs, were not willing to disclose their budget. About 400 people work in the ministry; about 60 percent of them are women. Almost all leading positions are held by women.
The majority of cases that come in are related to sexual abuse or domestic violence. The agency provides legal aid for the affected women and follows up on their cases afterwards. Another large group of cases deal with divorce, child- and/or forced marriages. Again, focus is on free legal advice.
But the agency also provides education for women. For example they have courses in teaching women how to drive! I have to suspect that these courses are not very popular since I have not seen a single woman behind the wheel in two weeks. But I was nonetheless impressed that they existed at all.
And finally, the agency links women with other appropriate institutions or humanitarian aid organizations such as the ministry of health, or institutions dealing with human-rights violation. It all sounded quite wonderful. But as we know, the full spectrum of women's affairs in Afghanistan is not quite that rosy. Either the ministry is not reaching far enough, or they are kidding themselves and others.
I asked about how the ministry gets news about its existence and services into the farthest corners of the country and into the minds and hearts of completely uneducated women. The usual channels were mentioned, from billboards to TV. And then one unexpected channel surfaced: the local imams in the mosques. Imams as women rights’ activists? I was skeptical, but the woman in this office insisted that these imams are educated, enlightened, concerned and very effective. Since they have clout in the community they are also effective instruments in following up on issues concerning both women and men. According to her, local men respect their judgment. I am still skeptical…
To my surprise I heard that men, too, may involve the services of the ministry. The officer explained that really they are the office for gender affairs. Ah, what about issues of homosexuality? Do they exist? Does the ministry help people who are persecuted or are victims of hate crimes? I should have known better. What stupid and corrupted questions these were! Of course, the ministry is not dealing with homosexuality. These issues do not exist and are not there to be dealt with. They are forbidden and if they are found out, they are duly punished according to (sharia) law like any other crime. I get it. Thanks for the clarification.
THIS BLOG WILL BE FILLED IN SOON.
SORRY, I RAN OUT OF TIME! GOOD NIGHT.
