November's Charity: Rubia's Threads of Change program in Afghanistan

Hello San Diego diners! We regret that we were unable to meet last month due to several conflicts, but we hope that this month's DFW event will make up for it. Please join us on Friday, November 12th at 6:30pm to learn more about this month's featured charity, socialize and dine with some amazing local women!

We all have heard a lot about Afghanistan in the United States through the media, but a lot of us probably do not understand how women's lives are there today. Here are some very compelling facts:

As the Taliban continue to resist the new government and U.S. occupation, ethnic 
tension, attacks by the Taliban, 
and government corruption have spread violence and poverty throughout the region. Although the Taliban's hold of Afghanistan has reduced overall and many rights were granted to women with 2004 constitution, regions like southern Afghanistan are still under the grip of Taliban influence. Women receive night letters that warn them against returning to work or speaking out. For example:


"We
 warn
 you 
to
 leave
 your
 job 
as
 a
 teacher
 as
 soon
 as
 possible
, otherwise 
we
 will 
cut 
the
 heads
 off
 your
 children
 and
 shall set 
fire 
to 
your
 daughter."


And:


“We
 will
 kill
 you 
in
 such 
a
 harsh
 way 
that 
no
 woman 
has
 so 
far 
been 
killed 
in 
that
 manner."


‐‐‐Time
 magazine’s 
reports 
of
 letters
 obtained
 by
 Human 
Rights 
Watch

According 
to 
the 
2009
 Human 
Development 
Report, 
Afghanistan
 is
 listed
 as 
the
 world’s
 second 
least
 developed
 country.

For
 Afghan 
girls
 in
 some
 regions, 
education remains
 elusive or forbidden. Poverty 
is
 a 
major 
barrier 
to
 education, 
especially 
among
 older
 Afghan
 girls. Afghan
 Women 
are 
slowly
 rising 
to 
political power, 
but
 usually 
only
 when
 quotas
 and
 other
 special
 measures 
are 
enforced.

Maternal health is also a very serious issue in Afghanistan, where skilled care is lacking. Poverty 
and 
a 
lack 
of
 education 
also
 lead
 to
 high 
adolescent 
birth 
risks, 
and 
use 
of 
contraception 
is 
lowest 
among 
the
 poorest 
women 
and
 those 
with 
no 
education.
 The 
Badakhshan 
Province 
in 
northeastern
 Afghanistan 
has 
the 
highest 
maternal 
morbidity 
rate
 in
 the 
world.


Many people in Afghanistan turn to illicitly growing opium poppies as a reliable source of income. Afghanistan currently supplies at least 93% of the world's opiates.

Security 
is 
the
 most 
significant
 issue 
in 
Afghanistan. 
It 
is 
difficult 
for
 the 
Afghan
 and 
U.S. 
governments 
to 
focus 
on
 human 
rights 
when 
the 
Afghan 
government
 is 
at
 war. 
Nonprofit
 organizations 
are 
helping 
women 
get
 back 
on 
their
 feet
 after three decades 
of
 warfare.
 Many
 NGOs 
(nongovernmental
 organizations)
 are
 working 
in 
Afghanistan 
to
 empower 
women 
by, 
for
 example, 
training
 women 
to
 be
 health 
and 
birth
 attendants 
and
 selling
 crafts
 made
 by
 Afghan
 women.
 Proceeds
 
go

 back
 to 
the 
women.
 In
 a
 world 
of
 patriarchal
 rule 
and
 domestic 
violence,
 women
 can 
learn 
to 
support
 themselves 
without 
men
 through 
their
 crafts.

The mission of Rubia in Afghanistan is to develop economic opportunities through craft heritage, to support education, and to promote health and well-being for Afghan women and their families.

From Rubia: “What differentiates us from other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is the access and context in which we work. Most NGOs working in Afghanistan avoid programs in the countryside due to lack of security. Rubia, through its grassroots network and strong relationship with other local organizations, works primarily among the rural population, the most marginalized of Afghan women; our programs are driven by their needs and capacity. We are committed to improving conditions for Afghan women and their families in incremental, sustainable steps. Above all, we respect and function within the cultural norms and day-to-day realities of Afghan family life.”



The Threads of Change Program: Dining for Women's donations will fund the development and implementation of Rubia’s Threads of Change Program. The integrated program in literacy, health, human rights, civics and handwork will impact over 600 women in Nangtahar, Afghanistan, mentoring emerging leaders to continue and expand the program. This program teaches practical skills and disseminates information about rights, civics, income and health, thus empowering Afghan women and their families.



Rubia eloquently describes more about the program in a way a lot of women here can understand in their latest newsletter on their website: "Contrary to the image of stitchery as retro domesticity, imprisoning women in their customary and predictable roles, we view embroidery as a positive and actual means of liberation for Afghan women. [...] Needlework may be the most feminine of art forms, but it is a means to liberation as well. The needle is so much more than a sewing tool: for Rubia women who first learn to spell their names in stitchery, it is a writing tool as well. For rural Afghan women, credibility and status can only be raised in a way that is meaningful to their community; within the culture and rhythm of their daily lives. It will take time for their work to be valued, in the long term, starting slowly and building over time. We recognize that change in Afghanistan is generational."



You can read more about Rubia on Dining For Women's site and at their homepage.

If you are not on our evite distribution and would like to be, please email erikakeaveney@gmail.com. These dinners are open to the public, though for reasons of privacy and limited space, we will not be publishing event details on the blog.