the other malalas - the guardian interactive story

8/19/2019 The Other Malalas - The Guardian Interactive Story

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The other Malalas: girl activists in the developing world

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-

network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-

interactive

The other alalas: girl activists in the developing world - interactive

!hat"s it like to campaign to reduce illiterac#$ se%ual harassment or teenage pregnanc#

in #our own communit# and wh# is it so important that the voices of girls are heard& !e

ask 12 girls under the age of 20 what the# are fighting for and wh#

'nna (each and )am *"+eill

,uardian rofessional$ Thursda# 12 ecember 2013 1.32 ,T

The story of a girl activist - Ethiopia

created a resource mobiliation proect called encil ountain that has delivered

over half a million school resources to 4thiopian children$ 5annah ,odefa$ 1

4ver# action for change counts$ no matter how small$ sa#s 5annah. hotograph: 6nicef

!hen was seven #ears old$ visited m# parents" rural hometown of '%um$ and was

sta#ing with m# grandmother. There was a #oung girl around m# age there$ and

became ver# good friends with her. 7efore left$ wanted to keep in touch with her as a

pen pal$ but m# parents e%plained to me that she did not have the pencils or materials

to do so.

knew in that moment that advocating for girls like me to have e8ual opportunities in

education would be an important part of m# life. created a resource mobilisation

proect called encil ountain that has delivered over half a million school resources to

4thiopian children.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-interactivehttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-interactivehttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-interactivehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Pencil-Mountain-Project/605238636160669http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-interactivehttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-interactivehttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/interactive/2013/dec/12/other-malalas-girl-activists-developing-world-interactivehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Pencil-Mountain-Project/605238636160669


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,irls living in rural areas of 4thiopia are treated as an asset. ' famil# values a girl for

her abilit# to work. ,irls do not have e8ual access to education with bo#s. There is a

great disparit# in literac# and if a parent has an opportunit# to choose between sending

a bo# or girl to school$ it is almost alwa#s the bo# that is chosen.

The most difficult challenge "ve faced is promoting this idea to rural communities where

it a conflict of interest for communit# leaders. Tradition dictates that #oung girls at m#age should be married$ or sta# home and support the famil#. t is not alwa#s eas# to

break through this mentalit#. 5owever$ the leadership in 4thiopia$ and several +,*s

have committed themselves to changing this longstanding mindset.

Biggest challenge: t"s been hard to balance m# school and m# advocac# work. have

learned to put m# own education first$ so that can create a bigger impact later on.

strongl# believe that ever# action for change$ no matter how small$ counts.

Proudest moment: met 9anada"s prime minister$ )tephen 5arper and the 4thiopian

prime minister$ 5ailemariam esalegn. The# are in a great position to implement

change in educational rights.

# greatest achievement was being named 6nicef goodwill ambassador for 4thiopia$

because have had an opportunit# to bring a girl"s voice to an international level and

raise awareness about education issues.

The story of a girl activist - India

'fter being harassed b# a man on the wa# to school wanted to stop girls and women

from e%periencing similar incidents in the future$ sa#s )halu )hrivastava$ 1

)halu )hrivastava$ centre$ wants to campaign for women"s rights across ndia. hotograph: *%fam ndia

!hen was 12 a carpenter would tease$ follow and harass me on m# wa# to the

school. tried to avoid him but the situation became dire when he started making lewd

comments about me. *ne da#$ he pulled down m# dupatta ;head and shoulder scarf<

and was reall# shaken up. told him to stop harassing me= sometimes warned him

he would face serious conse8uences$ but he did not take it seriousl#. 5e kept on doingit$ so sometimes would skip school to avoid him.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/ethiopiahttp://www.theguardian.com/world/ethiopia


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7ecause of that$ decided to 8uit school. # famil# asked me wh#$ so had to tell them

ever#thing. The# said the man shouldn"t stop me from going to school and decided to

file a complaint with the school"s head teacher. The school did nothing so we decided

to confront the man and his famil#. The# denied it and said it was m# fault for

encouraging him. !e spoke to a panchayat ;local government representative< but the#

also failed to resolve the issue. 'fter that$ m# famil# contacted *%fam ndia"s proect 4mpowerment >or ?ehabilitation

'cademic and 5ealth. The# encouraged us to file a police complaint$ which led to the

successful arrest of m# tormentor. 'fter going through this challenge$ decided to oin

4frah and fight for the rights of women and girls. want to stop girls and women from

suffering such problems in future.

,irls in our communit# face various dire challenges. The# are alwa#s fearful about their

safet# while going to school or market. There is alwa#s fear of se%ual harassment$

teasing and domestic violence. The# do not feel safe in this societ#.

Biggest challenge: n the beginning$ people udged what was doing negativel#= the#

obected to m# famil# and doing an# kind of campaigning. 7ut that ust motivated me

to work hard and make the campaign successful.

Proudest moment: ?ecentl#$ was interviewed for 'll ndia ?adio"s programme on

harassment in public places$ which gave me a good opportunit# to share m#

e%periences and raise awareness. # future goal is to campaign throughout elhi. n

the ne%t five to 10 #ears want to conduct campaigns across the countr# so that ever#

woman in ndia knows their rights and are empowered to fight for ustice.

The story of a girl activist - Belize

'ccurate$ fun and interactive information about teenage pregnanc# helps girls make

better and more informed decisions$ sa#s Thandiwe iego$ 1@

>ourteen-#ear-old Thandiwe iego works to improve the self-esteem of girls in her ,arifuna communit# in

7elie. hotograph: 6+ >oundation

http://www.theguardian.com/world/indiahttp://www.oxfamindia.org/where-we-work/delhi/empowerment-rehabilitation-academic-health-efrahhttp://www.oxfamindia.org/where-we-work/delhi/empowerment-rehabilitation-academic-health-efrahhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/indiahttp://www.oxfamindia.org/where-we-work/delhi/empowerment-rehabilitation-academic-health-efrahhttp://www.oxfamindia.org/where-we-work/delhi/empowerment-rehabilitation-academic-health-efrah


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# fight is for the empowerment of the girls in m# communit#$ through information$

education and e%posure to positive ideas.

Biggest challenge: ost girls in m# communit# are poor. ost of them don"t have

access to the internet and other basic things such as food$ water and electricit#. )ome

of them live in abusive and d#sfunctional homes. These factors stunt the girls"emotional$ intellectual and ph#sical growth.

Proudest moment: !e broaden the girls" e%periences b# creating a traditional

,arifuna ;people of 'frican and indigenous origin living in central 'merica< singing

group. !e learn songs in ,arifuna and sing them at the annual ,arifuna )ettlement

a# re-enactment. 4%periences such as these give the girls the chance to shine and be

noticed positivel# b# the whole communit#.

'ccurate$ fun and interactive information helps the girls to make better and more

informed decisions. 5igher self-esteem is also a big part of our fight to empower girls A

because the# are poor man# of them are sneered at b# the rest of the communit#. !ith

higher self-esteem the girls can allow themselves to dream big.

!hen #ou have accurate information #ou tend to be more confident and are more likel#

to make better decisions. !e use this philosoph# in our fight to minimise the number of

teenage pregnancies affecting the girls in the communit#.

!hen a girl gets pregnant most cannot go back to school$ either because the school

won"t accept them or because of the burden of raising a child. !ithout education the

girls most likel# won"t be able to achieve their career goal or get a decent pa#ing ob$

thus continuing the c#cle of povert#$ illiterac# and e%ploitation.

The story of a girl activist - Rwanda

started getting interested in women"s rights when realised that was facing cultural

stereot#pes about m# inabilit# to work in the sciences$ sa#s 9eleste ushime$ 1B


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9eleste ushime sa#s that tradition$ rather than government$ is keeping women disempowered in

?wanda. hotograph: 6+ >oundation

n ?wanda$ we have one of the most encouraging governments when it comes to

empowering women. 5owever$ the ties that keep women down are mostl# cultural.

There isn"t a lack of opportunities for women in ?wanda= there is a lack of will among?wandan women to use those opportunities. That"s what fight to change.

started getting interested in women"s rights when realised that was facing cultural

stereot#pes about m# inabilit# to work in the sciences. The government does a lot to

change that$ but traditions that have held on for #ears can"t be changed overnight.

Biggest challenge: knew something needed to be done but nothing could do

seemed meaningful enough to change an#thing. That"s when read man# books about

challenges that women face worldwide$ such as 5alf the )k# b# +icholas Cristof and '

Thousand )isters b# (isa )hannon. started to see the problem as more global$ but it

made me feel more helpless.

Then heard of the 6+ foundation ,irl 6p. 'fter seeing a global problem$ saw thatthere might actuall# be a global solution coming from people of m# age. This was the

encouragement needed to start working in m# communit#.

Proudest moment: 'fter that time$ with the help of a friend$ opened a girl

empowerment organisation. *ur goal was to give seminars to #ounger girls to give a

voice to the #ounger students and to form a united front of #oung girls read# to fight for

ever# single other #oung woman who can"t fight for themselves.

4ven if it"s a small change$ know that small change will bring a big change in some

people"s lives$ and that"s all hope for.

The story of a girl activist - Egypt

"m fighting for: peace$ civil rights$ freedom$ ustice$ women"s rights A "m fighting for m#

utopia$ sa#s Dara 5ad#$ 1

http://www.theguardian.com/world/rwandahttp://www.girlup.org/http://www.theguardian.com/world/rwandahttp://www.girlup.org/


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Dara 5ad#$ left$ started teaching girls science in an under-privileged area of 9airo after the 4g#ptian

revolution. hotograph: Dara 5ad#

7efore 2 Eanuar# 2011$ people like me were living in a bubble. Des$ some of us were

more sociall# and politicall# aware than others$ but we had far too much ego. ost of

m# generation who are more entitled than the maorit# looked down on ever#one else.!e wanted things better$ but we were thinking in terms of secularism$ freedom of

speech and constitution. The people wanted better salaries$ better bread and better

medical insurance. This gap was the reason that none of our demonstrations before

then had much of an effect.

)ocial media was the answer. This tool was a wa# of involving others. 'nd so on 2

Eanuar# 2011$ we chanted bread$ freedom$ social ustice. )uddenl#$ it wasn"t 30-

@0$000 1 to 2-#ear-olds$ it was a revolutionF The people had managed to change the

course of histor#. )ince then know e%actl# what "m fighting for: peace$ civil rights$

freedom$ ustice$ women"s rights A "m fighting for m# utopia. The revolution taught me

not to compromise on what"s right or settle for an# less.

Biggest challenge: n terms of women"s rights 4g#pt ma# be slightl# better Gwith the

emphasis on slightl#H than the rest of the iddle 4ast$ but the wa# women are treated

is still nothing short of disgraceful. There"s an old sa#ing that sa#s women onl# have

three homes: their famil#"s$ their husband"s and the grave. !omen are often told that

se%ual harassment and rape is their fault$ because the#"re wearing revealing clothes$

because the#"re not veiled$ because the# laugh loudl#$ or ust because men are never

wrong.

+ot too long after the revolution$ when was 1$ started working for an organisation

advocating women"s rights. was assigned to tutor an all-girls" middle school in an

under-privileged area. was teaching them science$ particularl# ph#sics$ and it was

hard to get them interested.

Proudest moment: was teaching the most e%citing thing in histor# Gph#sics is

awesome$ ust sa#ingH and no-one paid attention. 's the semester progressed$ some

girls started responding. *ne girl in particular grew almost as enthusiastic about

d#namics as am. >inall#$ one da# at the end of the semester$ asked if this class had

changed the wa# an# of them saw science$ ph#sics$ 4g#pt and girls. *ne girl replied

that she wanted to pursue a higher level education in aerospace engineering$ another

told me how surprisingl# e%citing she found special relativit#. felt nothing but utter

happiness and pride.

The story of a girl activist - Malawi

Through m# #outh group we managed to rescue a friend who was married off to a man

for mone#$" sa#s Daweta$ 1

http://www.theguardian.com/world/egypthttp://www.theguardian.com/world/egypt


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'ttending a children"s club organised b# lan alawi helped Daweta realise her rights. hotograph: lanalawi

an# girls in m# communit# are viewed as a burden to their parents. eople refer to

girls as lower status people. ost people believe it"s a waste of mone# to invest in a

girl"s education$ the# would rather marr# her off to receive dowr# from the husband.

ost girls in m# communit# end up becoming mothers$ some as #oung as 1@.

ost school environments are not girl-friendl#$ with no washrooms suitable for girls. n

most schools in m# communit# girls end up going home when the# need to use the

bathroom and the# will not come back to school to complete that da#"s lessons.

*ther main problems are forced earl# marriages and lack of proper information and

access to se%ual reproductive health among the #outh. 5owever$ lan alawi is now

pioneering the availabilit# of #outh-friendl# se%ual and reproductive health information

in the communit# that will help girls make more informed decisions.

lan alawi"s involvement with our children"s club opened m# e#es and helped me to

realise m# rights. >rom there on developed a passion for fighting and protecting the

rights of m# fellow #outh and children$ especiall# the most vulnerable.

Biggest challenge: n m# communit# it"s not eas# for the elder people to listen to a

#oung girl like me. )ometimes some authorities such as the police do not take us

seriousl# when we report cases of child abuse$ so we rel# mostl# on our communit#

volunteers to reach such people so that our voices are heard."m still #oung and working hard to attain m# higher secondar# education school$ ust

like most girls in the communit#. do not come from a well to do famil#$ also struggle

to find school fees but "m grateful that m# parents support me and m# brothers e8uall#.

Proudest moment: Through m# #outh group we managed to rescue one of our friends

who was married off to a man because her parents had owed him mone#. !e reported

this to the head teacher and the police through a communit# volunteer.

# personal goal is to complete secondar# school and go as far as universit# level$ as

ver# few girls make it to universit# in m# communit#. would like to see most girls in m#

communit# complete secondar# school rather than being married off.

http://plan-international.org/where-we-work/africa/malawi/http://www.theguardian.com/world/malawihttp://plan-international.org/where-we-work/africa/malawi/http://www.theguardian.com/world/malawi


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The story of a girl activist - the Philippines

The biggest challenge in m# advocac# work has been planning and funding$ sa#s

+afiea ohammad$ 1

+afiea$ right$ has been involved in environmental campaigns in the hilippines since she was 12 #ears

old. hotograph: +afiea ohammad

The devastation faced b# m# countr# toda# from the strong storms moves me to do

more for the hilippines. would like to concentrate more on environmental and peace

building activities and to fight against the apath# of people.

am proud to sa# have been an active environmental fighter since was 12 #ears oldb# involving m#self with organisations such as the ,irl )couts of the hilippines$ Douth

)olidarit# for eace$ the ?ed 9ross$ the Ith +ational Douth arliament and hilippine

Douth (eadership rogram.

Proudest moment: >ive #ears ago took part in m# first big environment proect to

clear up the rubbish on a corner bend in our communit#. eople were amaed that

#oung girls like me can work to make a difference in this world. The honour we felt on

the completion of the proect inspired me to do more for mother 4arth.

# passion was intensified b# seminars and leadership trainings on climate change

which was fortunate enough to attend. The# moved me to organise tree plantings and

cleaning activities in the different areas of our cit#. !e braved the heat of the sun anddirtied our hands as we placed seedlings in the ground to ensure more trees for the

ne%t generation. learned that partnership between government and citiens leads to

development.

?ecentl# was proud to work on a proect tackling the plastic bottles in Jamboanga

9it# where live. The proect has three phases: a one-da# environmental

photoournalism workshop= a photograph# e%hibition in schools$ malls and government

offices and education about how to rec#cle plastic bottles$ such as using them for

seaweed floaters. t"s alarming to know that according to a stud# plastic bottles take

@00 #ears to decompose.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/philippineshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/philippines


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Biggest challenge: )ince the start of m# advocac# work the difficult parts for me are

the planning stage and funding. )o far$ that is what find most challenging.

+evertheless have learned that if there is a will then there is a wa#.

The stor# of a girl activist - )ierra (eone

)haring m# e%perience gave me the confidence to advocate for other #oung mothers

like me$ >atimata$ 1I

t"s important to realise life doesn"t end as a result of teenage motherhood$ sa#s >atimata. hotograph:

>orward

n !aterloo communit#$ girls are not treated fairl#. The# see a lot of se%ual harassment

and often are beaten b# men. an# girls have cheapened their lives because the#

have become involved with prostitution and going to clubs to meet men where the#

drink$ smoke and are put at risk from se%ual predators.

Biggest challenge: # own personal biggest challenge was the moment found out

was pregnant. was #oung and had to drop out of school to become a teenage mother.

thought it was the end of m# life. couldn"t live with m#self. had no financial help$

and didn"t want to be like other girls on the streets. needed to do something.

was inspired to start campaigning because of the work that >orward and ,2, Ggirl to

girl empowerment movementH has taught me A that life doesn"t end as a result of

teenage motherhood. was taught that #ou can achieve an#thing with a little hard work.

)haring m# e%perience gave me the confidence to advocate for others ust like me.

learned that #ou have the power in #ou to make a difference.

Proudest moment: 7# the grace of ,od managed to return to education. 'lso$

thanks to >orward$ got to travel on an aeroplane for the first time to another countr#$

something someone like me would have never had the opportunit# to do usuall#.

!e went to ,hana to meet other girls who work on similar issues there. am pleased

to be part of this work as can help women in m# communit# and get the opportunit#to speak with other #oung women like me to tell them that the# don"t have to be victims.

http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/


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n the ne%t #ear$ want to complete m# !ace G!est 'frican 9ounsel 4%aminationH

e%amination and go to universit#. n the ne%t five #ears$ wish to learn and visit other

places. >inall#$ 10 #ears from now wish to live a life awa# from povert#$ as a normal

proud #oung woman.

Fatimata's name has been changed at the request of Forward.

The stor# of a girl activist A +epal

!hen we talk about women in business it is about more than sewing$ knitting and

household work$ enuka ,urung$ 1I

'fter stud#ing business in Thailand$ enuka ,urung wants to return to +epal to transform societ# through

social enterprise. hotograph: 4wen 7ell

was born and raised in Cathmandu. # parents moved to the capital from a village

after the# got married. 'lthough the# didn"t get a chance to stud#$ the# made sure that

m# sister and got the opportunit#.

# grandmother wanted a grandson from m# father. )he was disappointed when was

born because was the second child and the# e%pected a son. Though m# father washer eldest son$ she never showed love towards us because she e%pected a grandson.

felt sad about this. 5owever later realised that this is not ust m# stor#= there are a lot

of people who have faced gender ine8ualit#.

The first challenge a girl faces is her own famil#. +owada#s$ more people support girls"

education in +epal. 5owever$ there are still a lot of uneducated families who have no

idea about education and women"s rights.

f we want e8ualit# then we need to involve bo#s as well as girls in advocac#. The bo#s

should know how girls feel when the# are teased$ or when the bo#s are allowed to go

out but girls have to sta# at home after pm.

Biggest challenge: 7alancing m# studies with e%tra-curricular activities is one of m#biggest challenges. # parents were happ# to see how concerned was about

http://www.theguardian.com/world/genderhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/nepalhttp://www.theguardian.com/society/equalityhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/genderhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/nepalhttp://www.theguardian.com/society/equality


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women"s rights and m# activities in communit#$ but the# alwa#s had a fear that it might

affect m# studies.

Proudest moment: *rganising a flashmob with 5ollaback$ which campaigns to end

street harassment$ was one of m# proudest moments. ore than an#thing$ for me

being a part of !omen (ead$ the first and onl# leadership organisation for #oung

women in +epal$ makes me proud. 's a trainee and as an intern$ was able to interactwith people from different backgrounds and spread the word about women"s

empowerment and at the same time learn from their e%periences.

9urrentl#$ am an undergraduate in !ebster universit# in Thailand$ maoring in

management and international business. want to pursue a career in social

entrepreneurship. # dream is to transform +epalese societ# through responsible

solution-oriented business.

!hen we talk about women in business it is about more than sewing$ knitting and

household work. )ome people in +epal feel that women can"t go be#ond that. want to

change their misconception about women in business and as a whole.

The stor# of a girl activist - +igeria

want to be able to persuade people in power that girls" education is important$ sa#s

)imon 'bigail$ 1

)imon 'bigail speaks to teenage mothers in her communit# and tries to persuade them to come back to

school. hotograph: Cate 5olt

!hen finish school want to become a footballer. love football and think that girls are

better pla#ers than bo#s. 7ut f am not good enough to pla# football professionall#

then would like to be a ournalist. This is because want to have more information

about things that the government hides from us. This happens a lot in +igeria.

want to be able to influence people in power. >or e%ample$ when #ou see an orphan want politicians to take responsibilit# for the need# and for those who can"t afford to pa#

http://www.ihollaback.org/http://women-lead.org/http://www.theguardian.com/world/nigeriahttp://www.ihollaback.org/http://women-lead.org/http://www.theguardian.com/world/nigeria


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their children"s school fees. The government should bring more facilities to schools so

that we are able to better learn subects such as science. !e also need more practical

lessons so we learn outside of what is in the books. )cience$ technolog# and art are

not taught properl# because we can"t practise them.

Biggest challenge: n girls club we act out dramas about the effects of not educatinggirls. !e present our dramas in educational colleges and in our communit#. have

been visiting one girl who is pregnant to e%plain to her that after she has the bab# she

needs to tr# to come back to school. !e will see once she has the bab# if she has

listened to me$ although it will be hard for her because don"t know who will look after

her bab#. )ome girls find it hard to read because the# haven"t been taught well A so

the# don"t see the point in continuing with secondar# school.

Proudest moment: There is one girl in the school who gave birth to a bab# girl and

went to visit her and spoke to her famil#. )he has ust returned to school and now a

member of the girls club. )he is ver# good at advocating for us.

think the more girls we gather together the more power we will have. # ambition is to

be able to talk to a +igerian politician and tell them the importance of girls" education in

+igeria. have a lot of hope for girls" education in +igeria$ but we need to keep

campaigning and encouraging more girls to sta# longer in school.

The stor# of a girl activist - >ii

want to change the mindset of #oung girls to help them see that the# can achieve so

much$ even after the# drop out of school$ sa#s 'na !a8atabu (iganisulu$ 1I

' campaign for e8ual rights for women in >ii inspired 'na !a8atabu (iganisulu to see more opportunities

for herself and her peers. hotograph: 9'' ,lobal

7eing a #oung woman growing up in a rural communit# in >ii has alwa#s been a

challenge. 5ow view this challenge has changed since became a part of ?oshika

http://www.theguardian.com/world/fijihttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Roshika-Deo-Be-The-Change-Campaign/171522409707228http://www.theguardian.com/world/fijihttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Roshika-Deo-Be-The-Change-Campaign/171522409707228


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eo A 7e the 9hange$ a campaign for e8ual representation$ e8ual rights and treatment$

e8ual access to basic necessities.

)ince we women$ #outh and children represent more than half of the countr#"s

population$ we believe we have the right to be heard and have a sa# in ever#thing that

concerns us. That is what am fighting for.

n m# communit# girls are seen as fragile and we do not have a sa# in village meetings.

!hen we speak$ we are growled at for speaking up and told to be a girl and to sit

8uietl# and listen to elders. 'lso when a teenage girl is pregnant she is pointed at and

not the other part# A she is driven out of school while the gu# walks about freel#.

The main challenges faced b# girls in m# communit# is that the# don"t have options or

second chances. *nce the# fail school the# have no other option but to sta# home and

help out with the household chores. 'lso the# are not motivated b# their parents.

want to change the mindset of #oung girls to help them see that the# can achieve so

much$ even after the# drop out of school. Their lives do not alwa#s have to revolvearound their home and domestic duties. want them to realise that their voice is as

important as their elders.

Biggest challenge: The lack of co-operation from the girls themselves because the#

adhere more to what the# are told rather than what the# want.

Proudest moment: )eeing #oung men oin our group to fight for e8ualit#.

The stor# of a girl activist - 'fghanistan

'lthough girls are treated as second class citiens in m# communit#$ we should not

forget that 'fghanistan"s situation is changing$ sa#s >arkhonda Taher#$ 1K

>arkhonda Taher# believes that disrespectful cultural traditions can be overcome through education.

hotograph: >roan Taher#

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roshika-Deo-Be-The-Change-Campaign/171522409707228http://www.theguardian.com/society/equalityhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Roshika-Deo-Be-The-Change-Campaign/171522409707228http://www.theguardian.com/society/equality


14/14

'ccording to +ewton"s rule$ an obect sta#s the in same state unless a force affects it.

)ocial phenomena have the same characteristics. started campaigning to be a small

force to change the pattern of women"s lives in 'fghanistan.

(iving in 'fghanistan as a girl and observing the situation for women has made me

want to affect change. 'lso$ witnessing the effect of outspoken women on the situation

has been another inspiration to start campaigning.

'lthough girls are treated as second class citiens in m# communit#$ we should not

forget that 'fghanistan"s situation is changing. n parallel with the changes in

'fghanistan$ the situation for women is getting better.

Biggest challenge: ,irls in our communit# face disrespectful cultural traditions. >or

instance$ daughters are sometimes given to a murder victim"s famil# as blood mone#.

'dditionall#$ the economical dependenc# of girls to their famil# creates a lot of issues.

'nd girls in most parts of 'fghanistan do not have access to education$ which starts a

series of problems.

The most difficult obstacle is that women themselves accept their current situation anddo not help us to help them. This is because the# are illiterate and cannot think of a

different life. )o illiterac# is the biggest challenge for people who fight for women"s

rights.

Proudest moment: # two friends and took part in a culture e%change programme

with three displaced bo#s from 5elmand. !e talked to them about women in slam and

the#$ who did not accept girls as human before$ started to believe that girls should be

educated. The# convinced their parents to let their sisters stud#.

# short-term goals are to improve m# book club$ make a public librar# in asht-e-

7archi in Cabul$ maor in political science and international relations and get a masters

and a doctorate.

# long-term goals are to oin a political part#$ teach at Cabul universit#$ create an

association of women writers$ found a political part# and work as politician in the

'fghanistan government.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/afghanistanhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/afghanistan

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