As Afghan President Karzai wraps up his visit to Washington, DC, we at MADRE noticed something is missing. We have seen news stories about the upcoming military offensive in Kandahar, about the Taliban's continuing hold on power and about funding for the US war in Afghanistan.
But where are the stories of Afghan women? Of the challenges they continue to face, of the injustices woven into the fabric of the political system and of their strength in building solutions?
Luckily, we hear these stories from our partners in Afghanistan, and we need your help to get them out.
You can support Afghan women by sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. We have crafted five letters, each telling the story of a different woman while advancing the same message of support for Afghan women's rights.
Here's one you can start with:
Wahida's Story
Wahida was only 13 when her family sold her into marriage to a man more than three times her age.
For nearly 20 years, she suffered terrible physical abuse. Then, when her husband accused her of infidelity, she was thrown in prison by a court system that sees women as less than full human beings. Wahida’s three young sons and her daughter went with her. She was only granted a pardon after four years.
After her release from prison, she found relief in a women’s shelter supported in part by MADRE’s Afghan Women’s Survival Fund.
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