WUNRN
UNHCR - UN Refugee Agency
Stories from the Eyes of Refugees
Afghanistan -
Video - Former Refugee Selay Ghaffar - Afghan Women's Story
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"I
believe Afghan women are strong." - Selay Ghaffar, 28, was forced to leave
her home in Afghanistan in the 1980's after the Soviet invasion. She lived with
her family as a refugee in Iran and then in Pakistan. She always longed to
return to Afghanistan, she says, despite the dangers. For the past several
years, Selay has been working with women and girls who are victims of violence.
She has run an organization, funded in part by UNHCR, that provides shelter,
counseling and other assistance to women who feel that they have nowhere else
to go. Her organization has received threats, including so-called "night
letters", warning staff to stop their work on women's behalf. She believes
that Afghan women have been suffering for centuries and that it is only now
that their suffering is coming to light. "I want to change the life of
Afghan women," she says. "They should not suffer any more. "