WUNRN
AFGHANISTAN - http://www.equalaccess.org/country-project-af01.php
"We were surprised to learn that Islamic rights were so close to international human rights and Afghan constitutional rights"
Afghan
listening group particpant-Human Rights in Islam
AFGHANISTAN LOCAL LEADERS SUPPORT
WOMEN & GIRLS
TO ATTEND SCHOOL &
WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
With
gradually increasing awareness of their rights under Islam gained from
listening and discussing, My Rights, Your Rights, Our Rights in the Light
of Islam, Equal Access’ groundbreaking program on human rights, women from
two separate provinces across Afghanistan were inspired to enforce their basic
human rights guaranteed by Islamic law.
In Karpissa province
Province seventy women organized to petition their village leaders and obtained
the right to send their daughters to school. Likewise, sixty women in the
Pagham district near Kabul banded together for a walk into town and attained
their inherent right to work outside their homes to help support their
families. _______________________________________________________________
http://www.equalaccess.org/country-project-af01.php
HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE CONTEXT OF ISLAM
& AFGHANISTAN - GENDER
Mutual Compatibility: Human Rights
& Islam
Equal Access has produced extensive media on the subject of
human rights within the context of Islam in Afghanistan. From a 100 episode
radio drama; a host lead magazine show and women’s listening circles to human
rights leadership trainings – our Human Rights in the Context of Islam and
Afghanistan Initiative reinforces democratic principles and supports civil
society within existing cultural and religious traditions in Afghanistan.
“My Rights, Our Rights, Others’ Rights in the Light of
Islam”, is an up beat and culturally appropriate radio drama series – written
by our talented Afghan team for Afghan audiences. The drama incorporates human
rights related themes into each radio episode, each of which is founded on the
Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights, allowing the characters to
explore these issues within the context of their faith. Issues such as
forced marriage, violence against women, and access to education, employment
and health care are broached in a sensitive way, often using humor as an
effective tool to encourage audiences. Although these issues usually concern
women, the drama takes a more holistic look at the role of all family members.
Many of the issues, especially ones related to marriage, also affect men, and
so the program aims to educate the entire family rather than individual
members.
“Our Beloved Afghanistan” is an innovative host-lead radio
series of inspirational stories based on the lives, challenges and real stories
of Afghan men and women. Presented by an ebullient Afghan American woman
named Mahbouba (whose name means beloved), the stories provide models of
positive change for other Afghans, specifically women, in the to emulate.
Examples of stories covered on the series include a program on female patients
at the Herat Burns Hospital who set themselves on fire to end their suffering;
profiles on women in business; and another on biwa (widows) and how women cope
with the Afghan tradition of keeping widows in the family by forcing them to
marry their in-laws.
In addition to the radio drama and host-lead radio series,
our complementary leadership training for over 5,000 rural women and Islamic
leaders on human rights in Islam reached a broad range of influential people at
the community level including teachers and community health workers. The
curriculum was also expanded to include additional trainings with illiterate
participants – since at least 70 per cent of Afghanistan’s population can
neither read nor write. Trained facilitators lead local listening discussions
for women in their homes, allowing a safe and constructive environment to
discuss Islamic rights in their community. With support from the Ministry
of Women’s Affairs, our collaborations with the Afghanistan Independent Human
Rights Commission and other NGOs working on human rights maximize the impact of
this combined radio program and leadership training.
The Human Rights in the Context of Islam and Afghanistan Initiative has
received funding from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau for Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor, the United Nations Democracy Fund, the U.K. Foreign
Commonwealth Office, The Open Society Institute, and the Flora Family
Foundation.
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