Aziza, a 17-year-old resident of Maimana city, the center of Faryab province, was forced to marry at the age of 14 because her younger brother suffered a birth-related neck injury and the family was unable to afford his treatment. Aziza’s marriage was seen as the only option to improve the family’s situation.
She said, “They physically assault women who scream even a little. They don’t pay attention. They don’t even let the patient’s pain subside. I was afraid of what kind of hospital this is.”
She said, “My daughter is three months old. I am struggling to raise her on formula and fresh milk. I have become mentally disturbed. I feel angry most of the time, and it has become very difficult for me to care for my daughter. I keep telling myself that I will not have another child. Raising a baby without breast milk is very hard—especially when she cries.”
“My morale at home had declined, but after I joined the workshop, I became busy with work and met many other girls. That greatly improved my spirits. My financial situation has also improved, and now I earn my own income,” she said.
She added, “They did not allow my daughter to attend school. Even though my children are now grown, I have never had any real authority in their lives.”
“There are almost no sales, and people’s budgets are very tight. Several members of my family are unemployed. I opened this shop to earn a living for my family and serve people, but without enough customers and market, it’s very hard,” she says.
“He neither covers our expenses nor pays alimony. I live alone with my four children and have to borrow money just to buy food. When I turn to my brothers and ask what I should do, they tell me, ‘You are no longer our responsibility.’ But what can I do? I am a woman on my own,” she says.
Officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health say nearly 500 doctors from 34 provinces have received specialist certificates after completing advanced medical training in various fields. The graduation ceremony was held on Tuesday (Feb. 18) in Kabul, where close to 90 of the graduates were women specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
Zarmina, from ‘Qalbaras’ village, shares her experience: “In my twentieth week of pregnancy, during an ultrasound, the doctor said, ‘There is fluid in your baby’s head. It may be hydrocephalus.’ I did more tests, but there weren’t enough facilities in Takhar. I had to travel to another province. The doctor told me, ‘You must stay under observation. Your baby may need surgery, and you might also need an operation.’ I’m scared, but I’m continuing my pregnancy and leaving the rest to fate.”
Although scholars of ‘Fiqh’ and Sharia say that, according to Hanafi jurisprudence, a sane and mature woman has full legal capacity and may work outside
“My anemia became very severe; I had no strength to move. I received blood once or twice. It is because of poverty that I cannot go to the doctor. There were even days when we could not find bread to eat, and I spent the day drinking only water,” she said.
She says, “I truly lost hope at first and fell into depression. Despite all these challenges and restrictions, I did not want to give up on my goal. I want to become a doctor, and I am confident that one day I will achieve my dream.”
