A Safe Haven for Afghani Women

People have a lot of misconceptions about Afghanistan, fueled in large part by the occupation by the United States and Britain that began in 2001. Recently, I wrote about how Afghani child brides face a difficult fate, and sadly, this news didn't shock many people. But to counter the seemingly unending stream of bad news from the war-torn country, I've got a story of good news and uplift for Afghani women for once.

The eight-acre Kabul Women's Garden has been around for decades (some say centuries), but it's only in the last few years that it has been reborn as an "oasis of freedom for women, surrounded by the misogynist desert of the capital city." When the conflicts began in earnest over thirty years ago, the lush space was quickly discarded, taken over by trash heaps and flattened as people felled the trees for firewood. Once a safe space in the middle of the city where women could go burqa-free and gossip with their friends, the garden bequeathed by King Zahir Shah was nearly destroyed forever.

However, thanks to efforts by CARE International and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the space has begun to bloom again, a much needed face-lift funded to the tune of $500,000. From the start, the revitalization efforts helped women, offering construction and landscaping jobs to women in a country where they are traditionally locked out of such employment.

Today, only women (with the exception of boys under 9) are allowed inside. There is a small mosque, where religious lessons are given by a woman. Dressing rooms allow for burqa removal and makeup application. A women-only gym offers classes in badminton and aerobics. Tiny microgrant-financed shops offer handmade goods and lingerie, and a hair salon operates nearby. Female guards line the entrance, further employment for women in a city often rules exclusively by men, and keep an eye out for potential suicide bombers who wish to destroy the space all over again.

Perhaps the best news of all? The haven offers protection to abuse victims escaping violent husbands or families threatening honor killings, and shuttles them into shelters around the city. Karima Salik, who runs the space along with the Ministry of Women's Affairs, said she even hopes to turn a small parking lot into a space where women can learn how to drive. It isn't that women driving is illegal; it's simply discouraged and thus rare. But if the progress made in restoring this lovely enclosure over the past few years is any indication of Salik's determination, Afghani men will be sharing the streets with women drivers in no time.

Photo Credit: isafmedia