GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan — International Women’s Day, supported by the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team, drew a diverse crowd of women and men, March 8, to the Department of Women’s Affairs in Ghazni city, Afghanistan.
Distinguished Afghan speakers delivered thoughts and congratulations for the achievements of the women of Ghazni, and addressed several issues pertaining to women in the province. Many of the participants came from rural areas.
Dr. Usman Usmani, Governor of Ghazni province, made an appearance and congratulated the women on their accomplishments. Speaking to the crowd, he called for action on women’s rights and integrating them more into Afghan life.
"If we include the women, we could have a whole life," said Usmani with regards to Afghanistan.
The governor also felt it was time for change.
"No one was ready during wartime for women’s rights, there were already too many problems," he said. "For a couple years, ladies couldn’t go to shops."
Shokrieh Vali, Director of Women’s Affairs in Ghazni, hoped for a better future for the young women in Afghanistan.
"One of the biggest problems here is that there are no safe houses for women," said Vali after the convention. "When the ladies leave jail, they have no place to go. They go to hotels or cousins’ houses."
Vali also wants to see more opportunities for women.
"We need women’s education for doctors and engineers," she said.
Abdul Saboor Bayat, with the Roshna-ee Social Services Organization, a nongovernmental organization, said that Ghazni city was seeing changes, but the villages in the province did not have the same luck.
"We need to focus on districts far from the cities," said Bayat. "They don’t know about their basic rights."
However, Bayat has seen changes throughout the country.
"During the Taliban’s rule, women couldn’t go outside of their homes," he said. "Under Karzai’s government, it has changed."