KABUL (SW) – A number of women who have become unemployed in the last two years say that they have faced harmful economic, psychological and social consequences by being deprived of their meaningful presence in society.
This comes as the World Food Program (WFP) is concerned about the marginalisation of women from social life in Afghanistan,
Farkhanda, a resident of Afshar district of Kabul, who worked for a foreign organisation for nearly two years and is now unemployed, says that the loss of her income has caused her life situation to worsen day by day, to the point where she even loses the ability to provide for her children’s needs.
“When I lost my job, it really took a toll on my mood,” she adds. “When I think about it, I get a headache. I moved away from society and I think I lost everything. I think that because I am a woman, I don’t have the right to work in society.”
Women in Afghanistan, who have worked for years to achieve their dreams for a better life, say that now that they have lost their jobs, they have also lost their hope for a bright future.
Shabana, a resident of Makrorian, Kabul city, who also worked in one of the foreign institutions during the republican period, says: “My children could no longer have the food they used to eat in the past. Their clothes changed. It hurts me every day and I experience a gradual death every day.”
In the same way, Shabnam, a resident of Dar al-Aman, Kabul, who is the mother of two children, says that after being unemployed and living at home, she suffered from mental illnesses. “When I became unemployed, I felt worthless,” she adds. “The problems of life increase with each passing day and the mental and economic pressures are backbreaking. My children, who used to go to a private school, could no longer go. Everything has changed.”
Meanwhile, a number of sociologists say that the marginalisation of women from society and their exclusion from work can cause an increase in family violence, mental illnesses and poverty in the society in the long run.
Basmullah Yavari, an expert on social issues, says: “When women are away from society, the motivation of the whole society decreases. Young girls who are busy with studies today, do not believe in their future. On the other hand, in the future, it can create stereotyped beliefs among men so that they think that society can be active without the presence of women.”
It should be mentioned that in the past two years, with various decrees from the authorities of the Islamic Emirate, girls and women have been faced with various restrictions, including not being able to study and work.
ENDS
