CLDV-100 C

Prof. Mohammadi

Ms. Zharifa Ghafari's story shows how women in Afghanistan are struggling to live with
dignity. Taliban an extremist group that once controlled Maidan Shar used to terrorize the
region. Women had no rights in this region, a period in which women were essentially invisible
in public life, barred from going to school or working. After the Taliban’s were defeated,
government was trying to work with the issues of the rights of women and how they could play
a part in the economy. In slightly fewer conservative regions, the government was successful
entitling women with reputable positions. Unfortunately, Ms. Ghafari was appointed in a region
where women were not welcomed to be a leader.

Ms. Ghafari has one of the toughest positions who took over a traditionally male job in
Afghanistan’s patriarchal society. She was discriminated against heavily because of her sex. The
only other woman who had a government job was a teacher, and she used to commute from
Kabul to Maidan Shar regularly for safety reasons. Ms. Ghafari did the same. After getting her
position as a mayor she had to wait 9 months to get her position back as a mayor due to the
resistance from the locals. On the first day of her job her office was vandalized; rocks and sticks
were thrown at her by the protestors. This happened because a woman was appointed as the
mayor. It was evident to us how society was male-dominated and did not believe in women's
empowerment.

Although Ms. Ghafari faced a huge backlash from the city, she did not give up easily. She
went back to claim her right for the position she was appointed for. She had good intentions for
the city and did not care what the conservative society had to say about her. She was being
laughed at and was mocked by many government officials who worked under her. They did not
believe in her good intentions. But Ms. Ghafari was determined to bring a change for her city
and that’s what she did. She later got support from her officials who did not believe in her
initially when she initiated a road project that was left hanging for many years.

I think the hostility and the brutality that Ms. Ghafari is faced brought in a new
remarkable development in the society. I say this because Ms. Ghafari wanted to bring change
in the society and its mentality. She was hopeful and determined, which she proved through
her work and later got appreciated for it. She was successful in bringing some change in the
public mentality. This was just the start of an era. If such positiveness continues to spread than
women in afghan society would soon see hope to dream big.