Mina: At the age of 23, I moved away from my home town and came to Kabul for the sake of higher education. After graduation, I began search for a job. Ambitious and energetic, I wanted to seek compensation for the sacrifices my family paid and the hardship I went through. After months of searching, I eventually got myself a secretarial post at a public office. When I went there for the interview, a man bothered himself to shake hand with me, yet I neglected shaking hand with him. Nonetheless, and without hesitation the man began talking out of the points. He finally conditioned my employment, asking me to follow him as directed. After listening to him carefully, I predicted what was circulating in his mind. Right after that moment I decided to abandon the office, he kept questioning me if I was eager to meet him in private. Quietly leaving that office was what I looked for. As I decided to leave the office forever and moved towards the door, he once again bothered himself to accompany me to exit and once again extending his hand for a hand shake. I once again ignored it. “You are a clergywoman and you can never find job” he told me brassily.
Manizha: I was dreaming big always. It was my second year at university while I got interested in the electronic media. At the very beginning, the whole thing was going on smoothly. After presenting entertainment programs on a TV for sometimes, I was asked to present social programs. Running the social program, I was later asked to read news on radio. I faced a number of troubles in this while. Many managers and supervisors solicited me sharing bed with them. After resisting such environment for some time, I finally decided to resign. After I complained, the perpetrators were supposed to be charged with penalties and only then I was willing to rejoin. But, as days passed nothing occurred and no one was charged for their offence. Exhausted and hopeless, I quitted my job and joined my next career. Working for two weeks in my next office, I confronted similar conditions. The more I ignored them, the more they restricted me. As they put further pressure on me, I finally chose to resign.
Aliya: Six years ago, I graduated from the Police Academy, but still I have been serving on lower grades. Getting promotion required me to meet the demands continuously made by the senior officers. For progress, one needs to either be linked to a powerful leader or meet the endless sexual demands of their superiors. I have met hurdles every time I have applied for promotion. “The promotion has its own services/ requirements”, they would say. “Getting promotion in my office requires a heavy price, and that is to let my body be used by the superiors”, Aliya said while sighing deeply.
ENDS
