Afghan former female students turn to embroidery to escape unemployment and improve mental health

(29 Aug 2023)
AFGHANISTAN EMBROIDERY

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

LENGTH: 2:31

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Badghis Province, Afghanistan - 20 August 2023
1. Former female university students sewing embroidery
2. Former university student Nilab Ahmadi sewing
3. Various of Ahmadi sewing
4. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Nilab Ahmadi, former university student:
"Our grandmothers and mothers used to do this. We were studying, but now we have been out of the school for two years. So, we had to turn to embroidery to escape mental illnesses and unemployment."

5. Former female university students sewing embroidery
6. Former university student Sufia Safdari sewing
7. Various of Safdari sewing
8. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Sufia Safdari, former university student:
"Now, as the schools and universities are closed, we are worried about the future of Afghan girls. We are facing an unknown and uncertain future - we will become illiterate members of society."

9. Former female university students sewing embroidery
10. Former university student Salma Mohammadi sewing
11. Various of Mohammadi sewing
12. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Salma Mohammadi, former university student:
"As universities are closed, we had to turn to embroidery. There were educational courses, and we used to study there, they are also closed. Therefore, we had to turn to embroidery to earn money to cover family expenses."

13. Various of former university students sewing embroidery
14. Various of city center of the town of Qala-e-Naw in Badghis Province
STORYLINE:
Ahmadi, Safdari, Mohammadi, they were all university students when the Taliban became the country’s new ruler in Afghanistan two years ago.

With the restrictions imposed by the new government, female students were barred from attending schools and universities across the country but, the young women did not give up and turned to embroidery to remain active.

Embroidery also offers a rare chance for Afghan women to earn a small amount of money for their family livelihood.

Following the example of older women in her family, 21 years old Nilab Ahmadi, who used to spend her time studying language and literature, decided to give a try to embroidery.

“Our grandmothers and mothers used to do this. We were studying, but now we have been out of the school for two years. So, we had to turn to embroidery to escape mental illnesses and unemployment", Ahmadi says.

Salma Mohammadi joined the group of women including former students sewing, trying to push back against the Taliban restrictions and find a new source of income.

"We had to turn to embroidery to earn money to cover family expenses”, she says.

Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule than during its previous stint in power, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing power in 2021.

Along with the bans on women's employment and access to education, the Taliban have barred women from public spaces, like parks and gyms.

Women must also cover themselves from head to toe.

Observers have expressed increasing concern for the state of women's basic human rights in the country.

Sufia Safdari, ,who was in her second year of university before she was forced out, says she is worried about the future of Afghanistan women.

“We are worried about the future of Afghan girls. We are facing an unknown and uncertain future - we will become illiterate members of society”, Safdari adds.

Earlier this year, the United Nations said that Afghanistan has become the most repressive country in the world for women and girls, deprived of virtually all their basic rights.



Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...