July 2010 E-Newsletter

Welcome to the fourth issue of our quarterly e-newsletter, Itihad-e-Zan, which means "Community of Women." All of WAW's news, stories, updates and advocacy messages are rooted in the lives, experiences, opinions, and priorities of the Afghan women and girls we are privileged to serve.

WELCOME

WAW's work is thriving on all fronts, and has received major press attention this quarter (see below). Please read this recent update from our Executive Director, which discusses the recent Peace Jirga, and the security situation for women in Afghanistan. We have two big announcements in this issue:

• WAW is about to inaugurate our 5th Family Guidance Center, in Kunduz, Northern Afghanistan. The inauguration is scheduled to take place on July 6th, with the Governor of Kunduz cutting the ribbon, and presiding over the ceremonies.

• And secondly, the WAW Queens Community Center is moving! We have signed our lease, and we will move into our new offices in the heart of the Queens Afghan community later this month. Please make a note of our new address: 158-24 73rd Avenue, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366. We have rented two floors of a house in a location which most clients can walk to. The house has several offices, a kitchen, a huge room for events, meetings and classes, and even a back yard with an apple tree. Our staff is full of ideas to deepen our community outreach work in Queens, in this ideal new location.

Our new space!

WAW STORIES

AFGHANISTAN: Torpekai's Story

Torpekai is also the woman featured in the header graphic. In the smaller pictures, she is seen taking care of the children in our Children's Support Center (CSC), where she is a night caretaker.

Torpekai is one of the many very brave women in Afghanistan who has turned the injustice and cruelty in her life into strength, and used it to help others.

Torpekai married at the age of 20, and she and her husband were happily married for about ten years. Together, they had one son and two daughters. Five years ago, tragedy struck Torpekai's family: while she and her children were visiting her mother, someone murdered her husband, stabbing him 9 times. Torpekai found his body when she returned home from her mother's house.

A little over a month later, while Torpekai was still in deep mourning, her husband's cousin demanded that she marry him or risk losing her children. Torpekai didn't want to marry him, and pleaded to her father-in-law. But as Torpekai's husband's cousin was an influential and powerful man in their village, her father-in-law felt powerless to stop the marriage. Unwilling to settle for this injustice, Torpekai decided that she would go to the police for help. Instead, she was arrested for her husband's murder. At the trial, her mother and brother testified that she was in their house that night. The only "evidence" presented against her was her husband's cousin testimony that he found blood on their door. She was convicted of murdering her husband and was given a sentence of 10 years.

After 4 years, her father-in-law came forward to tell the court that Torpekai was innocent and that she was wrongly convicted. He confirmed the mother's testimony that Torpekai was in her mother's house at the time of the killing. She was released, and went to live with her mother.

But Torpekai refused to become bitter about her experiences in prison. After her release, she knew she wanted to work with women who were incarcerated-- many unjustly, just as she had been. After organizational cuts forced her out of a kindergarten class for the children living in the prison with their mothers, she learned of WAW's Children's Support Center (CSC).

Today, she's a night caretaker. She helps children with their homework, feeds them dinner and plays games with them. Torpekai says she knows the pain of being away from her children. "I am proud to be a member of WAW today," she says. "WAW has realized my dream of somehow helping women who are in prison and their children. I am also able to live independently and support my children." We welcome her into our WAW family and gain so much from our association with her, as do the prison mothers and their children.

Torpekai reads with children at the CSC.

QUEENS: Narwan's Story

For Narwan's protection, we have changed her name for this feature, and are not including a photograph.

Narwan thought that marrying her first cousin who lived in the United States would be her ticket out of the hell that was Taliban Afghanistan. She dreamt of freedom and a new life in a new country. For six years after they wed, her husband gave her excuses for why he was unable to bring her to the United States. Finally, in 2001, after she gave birth to their first son, her husband agreed to bring her and their child into the US.

Upon her arrival, Narwan learned that her husband had sponsored her as an Afghan widow seeking refuge in the States, not as his wife. Worse, her husband was addicted to drugs, and beat her frequently. Nevertheless, Narwan wanted to stay in the United States, and endured her marriage for 13 more years.

Recently, in the aftermath of a particularly brutal attack, half of Narwan's body became paralyzed. This was the final straw that gave her the courage to finally take a stand. With the determination to reveal her story and receive legal assistance, Narwan visited the WAW Queens Center. Narwan was present when WAW held our first Women's Circle on the topic of domestic violence. It was after that meeting that she came forward and opened her heart to Naheed, our Case Manager.

WAW was able to give Narwan the emotional and legal support she needed, helping her obtain an order of protection against her husband and custody of her children. WAW helped Narwan to study and train to get a qualification to take care of seniors in their homes. As she waits for a job in that field, she is working temporarily at a local department store.

While she is afraid to go after her husband for child support, we will help her if she chooses to do so. We are trying to obtain proof of her religious marriage in Kabul-- with that proof, Narwan will be able to try and get a divorce and receive alimony. A mother of two young boys and a daughter, Narwan is working hard to support her family. Her children attend our Saturday tutoring classes, which are also a regular opportunity for us to stay connected with her. Narwan is moving forward; a newly emboldened woman, striving to build a healthy, happy life for herself and her children.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WAW

Update from Afghanistan

Children's Support Center (CSC)

The Center continues to serve as a unique model, providing social and legal protection for children whose mothers are in prison. It has been praised by government and international officials for the level of care and support children receive. Without this Center, these children would remain in prison with their mothers, reside with distant relatives who may abuse them, or live on the streets of Kabul, vulnerable to additional abuse, a life of crime, and lack of opportunities.

Since our last update, great things have happened at the CSC. Firstly, the number of children residing at the CSC has increased to 44-- 19 girls and 25 boys. The children are happily attending school and are excelling academically. In addition to academics, the CSC staff hosts a series of extracurricular activities, promoting Afghan tradition and culture, children's and women's rights, sports, and art. One such event was the first-ever Children's Award Ceremony. The ceremony was the children's idea, and was run by the children. It highlighted the accomplishments of all the children in the Center with announcers, presenters, and performers. As the keynote speaker, the CSC's program manager reminded the children of their rights under the constitution and international treaties, and encouraged them to set goals and follow their dreams. The children really enjoyed the ceremony, and have requested similar events in the future. They certainly do deserve to be recognized!

The Children's Award Ceremony.

In May, the CSC welcomed Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas, head of the EU's special mission to Afghanistan, on his first trip to the country. This visit offered the Ambassador an opportunity to experience the profound impact of EU funding in Afghanistan and meet directly with its beneficiaries. A few brave children directly approached the Ambassador, openly sharing their experiences and plans for the future with him. He was impressed by the children's courage and ability to express themselves, and he was deeply moved as he explored the facility and learned of their progress.

For the Ambassador's visit, WAW hosted an open press conference for international and local media, donors, and ministers. Executive Director Manizha Naderi and board member Fahima Vorgetts led the conference, welcoming the Ambassador and the Minister of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disability (MoLSAMD). The distinguished guests commended WAW for its commitment to securing and protecting the rights of women and children in Afghanistan and declared their ongoing support for our work.

Family Guidance Center (FGC)

WAW's FGCs in Afghanistan continue to provide critical services to women, girls, and families in crisis. To date, we have received approximately 1780 cases. Our case managers, and lawyers closed a total of 1,031 of these cases in our Kabul, Mazar, and Kapisa FGCs. News of WAW's services are spreading far beyond provinces where we have FGCs, and an increasing number of women are seeking our assistance on their own.

WAW has recently ramped up our efforts to raise local awareness of the human rights guaranteed to women in Islam under the international human rights norms agreed to by the Afghan government and reflected in the constitution and domestic legislation. This project, which consists of workshops in local schools and clinics, is an expansion of WAW's successful awareness-raising campaign in Kapisa in 2009. That endeavor brought 70 new cases of abuse to WAW's Family Guidance Center there-- a 160% surge in clients.

Students attend a half-day workshop on women's rights.

Many who participated in the Kapisa workshops not only absorbed the information on women's human rights and WAW services, but also relayed it to women in their immediate and extended families and neighborhoods. As a result of this success, WAW has decided to expand these efforts, eventually conducting outreach in all the provinces where our FGCs exist. Extension of the program to Kabul is the first step toward that goal. We are confident that Kabul and other areas will see similar surges in clients. Women, their male relations, their entire families, and even whole villages will benefit. With this kind of community education, we look forward to a reduction in the number of human rights abuses, an improvement in family life, and a stabilizing of civil society in Afghanistan.

WAW's Newest FGCs:

Nangahar Province - Jalalabad: WAW inaugurated the FGC in Jalalabad on April 21, 2010. More than 120 community and governmental officials were present. Speakers included the Deputy Governor of Nangahar, the Jalalabad Director of Women's Affairs, and WAW staff. Staff are now conducting an outreach campaign to increase awareness of women's rights and WAW's services to the people of Jalalabad and surrounding communities. In the month since the FGC Jalalabad has been open, we have processed three cases. We expect more women to come forward as the awareness-raising campaign begins reaching people in this highly conservative province.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new FGC in Jalalabad.

Kunduz Province - Kunduz: WAW is thrilled to report that we are moving forward with the establishment of a FGC in Kunduz. We began fostering relationships with local government members, religious leaders, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, and other civil society organizations. In early May, we hired key staff and provided a two-part intensive training. We are finalizing the inauguration plans for Mid-June.

Update from Queens

The staff and volunteers of Women for Afghan Women remain as active as ever. We have seen an increase in the number of women seeking WAW's assistance. We currently have a caseload of 69 cases, 27 of which are brand new cases, and 5 of which are domestic violence-related. The Queens Community Center continues to host classes and workshops that empower Afghan women, teach them about their rights, and meet immediate needs such as basic literacy. A new addition to our programming is a Monday morning yoga class. Earlier this spring, Annie Ellman of the Center for Anti-Violence Education conducted a series of self-defense classes, focusing on how to stay safe both in the home and in the streets.

Annie Ellman laughs with participants while giving a self defense demonstration.

SAVE THE DATE: Please join us for WAW's Housewarming Open House, which was detailed above.

WAW will also be hosting a festive cultural event (Jashin) to celebrate Afghan Independence Day on August 14th, at the Queens Public Library in Flushing. Be sure to mark your calendars!

Advisory Committee

WAW is about to launch an Advisory Committee for the Queens Community Center. This Committee will include members of and supporters of the local community, and have two main responsibilities: to help mentor and guide the Queens staff, and to help fundraise for the work we do in Queens. If you are interested in serving WAW in this capacity, please send an email to board member Sunita Viswanath at sunita@sunitav.net.

Women's Circle

We hold monthly Women's Circles, which serve two functions: a support group, where women share openly about challenges in their lives and support each other, and an educational workshop where experts and allies share information relevant to Afghan women's lives. Attendees in recent months have discussed the importance of making 911 calls in emergency situations, dental care, immigration questions, and legal help available to domestic abuse survivors. July's Women's Circle topic will be Women's Rights in Islam. The Women's Circle program is a very popular gathering, with 25-35 women attending each month.

A Women's Circle meeting.

International Women's Day Fundraiser

On March 8th, WAW held a beautiful fundraiser gathering to honor International Women's Day. With over one hundred and fifty women present, Afghan sisters from across New York reflected on the challenges facing Afghan women and the goals and accomplishments of WAW. This was WAW's first fundraiser in many years, and it is with great pride and gratitude that we announce that the community supported our work by donating $4,000 in that one evening.

Dancing the Atan (traditional Afghan dance) at the International Women's Day celebration.

Other Goings-On

Our second major event for the spring season was our Nowroz celebration (Persian New Year). WAW hosted a standing-room-only event at the Queens Public Library on March 20, entitled "Rooted in the Community, Reaching for the Stars." We discussed our work for women's rights, and our speakers for this event were all men who are champions of women's rights. With over one hundred and fifty guests present, the event was truly a memorable experience.

Other recent events have included a Mothers' Day community luncheon, and a demonstration at the United Nations to protest the executions without trial of nearly thirty Afghans living in Iran. A summer camp for girls ages 12-15 is slated to begin this summer.

WAW IN THE NEWS

News Articles Featuring WAW

Check out these links featuring WAW!

March 11, 2010: ABC World News with Diane Sawyer- "Exclusive: The Secret Shelters That Protect Afghan Women"

April 14, 2010: Foreign Policy in Focus- "Afghanistan: Should We Stay or Should We Go?"

May 30, 2010: The New York Times- "Afghan Child Brides Escape Marriage, but Not Lashes"

June 10, 2010: CNN- "Shelter tries to help abused child brides"

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