Afghanistan: “Closing schools and universities to women is the beginning of a humanitarian disaster”

“Afghanistan”. When answering these questions in writing, Munera Yousufzada repeated that word 27 times. Not long ago she was Deputy Minister of Defense – the first woman to be part of the leadership of the Armed Forces. Afghans – and a member of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) – a local and American effort to lead the country – as deputy governor of Kabul and spokesperson for the institution. Now, as a refugee in the US, she sees her country in the hands of the taliban. And even worse: how did they decide that, for not wearing the hijab well or being escorted by “adult male escorts”, women will no longer be able to study in universities or work for NGOs.

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—You were part of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), what did you feel when you were summoned?

-It was a great honor to work faithfully for the IDLG. I was the first woman to give voice, in front of the international media, to an entity that always had a man’s face. Also, for my work, former President Ashraf Ghani awarded me the highest honor from the Afghan Government. Along the way I faced many challenges. Many of my colleagues insulted and humiliated me, but the media and civil society encouraged me to keep going.

—And what did you feel when it dissolved?

-When Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban [agosto del 2021], I was out of the country. I had already resigned from the Vice Ministry of Defense, but I did not think that I would not be able to return to my family. I became a refugee and walked away from them. For me, the IDLG was the starting point, the beginning of my growth. That’s why I was saddened by its dissolution. I also felt sorry for the women and men who lost their jobs. They fought for years to have a good government, but now all is lost.

—Was there reprisals against you or your family for being part of the IDLG?

-Cyberspace poisoned me. I received all kinds of accusations and threats. I was insulted by strangers. This did not only happen when I was part of the IDLG. When I became a media figure, they increased. Just before the government fell, my family was also threatened. All of that continues to this day. Afghan women have no power, because power is only for men. In Afghanistan, being a powerful politician means you have money, you abuse religion, you don’t respect the law and you are a populist. On the other side, women trying to work honestly, but slandered by society just for being women. I suffered humiliation, I was invisible, but I always tried to fight against them by obeying the law and showing my skills at work.

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Why do the Taliban insist on depriving women of the opportunity to educate themselves?

-At least in the last hundred years, women have been an important issue for Afghans. Giving them rights or placing restrictions on them are positions that have supporters in a religious society. The Taliban – who have a wrong idea of ​​faith – took advantage of this and managed to exclude them from social activities, study, work and decision-making. The most terrible thing is that they force girls to marry their commanders. Since they consider them their property, they deprive them of their rights. It is also clear that they have taken the women hostage. By imposing these restrictions, they show their strength. They want to extort the world, to pay a political and economic ransom. Finally, preventing women from being educated is the starting point to limit other rights. An illiterate woman is a subservient woman. An illiterate woman has no cabin in any sector of society. Closing the doors of schools and universities is the beginning of a humanitarian disaster.

Munera Yousufzada has held public office in her country since 2010. (Photo: Personal file)

—If a young Afghan woman wants to pursue university studies, what are her options?

-None. Even if the schools and universities were opened, the education of the Taliban would not be correct. Its curriculum would serve to increase gender discrimination and extremism. It would be great if the girls could study abroad. But no one works for them except themselves. During my work in the government, I understood what Afghan men think and it is slightly different from what the Taliban think. They are alone, they are the only soldiers fighting against the terrorists. They despise women, they fear them.

—Do you feel that the international community forgot about Afghanistan?

-The world did not fight against the Taliban for 20 years? Well, for almost a year and a half the Afghan people have once again lived under the control of that regime, without human rights. The people took up arms hoping for the support of the international community, they chose democracy. Now he lives below the poverty line. They have forgotten about us. Every day we see different international organizations meet with Taliban leaders. What changed for this to happen? The world knows that women are victims. I think the only remedy is to unite against the Taliban. We have a long way to go, but in the end it will all be for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan.

Source: Elcomercio