AFP: Women often arrive in extremis at the maternity hospital in southeastern Afghanistan, one of the most active in the world, with more than 60 babies born daily. The Taliban are active in the region and roads are often dangerous after dark, so when 25-year-old Asmad Fahri felt her contractions begin at night she knew she would
Ariana: An American aid project in Afghanistan that was billed as the world’s biggest program ever designed purely for female empowerment has been a failure and a waste of taxpayers’ money, the head of a government watchdog agency has charged. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction has repeatedly criticized American aid projects in Afghanistan as wasteful
Al Jazeera: In an effort to encourage recruitment, the government is preparing an entire town of secure housing for female police officers and their families near Kabul.
Tolo News: The all-girl Afghan robotics team returned home on Sunday after wrapping up a successful tour of Mexico. “We won the safety award from among 25 awards, the competition was among 175 countries,” said one member of the robotics team Lida Azizi. Click here to read more (external link).
KCRA: Organizers closed Sacramento’s annual mural festival with an event to unveil new work by Shamsia Hassani featured on the wall of the Sacramento News and Review office off Del Paso Boulevard. Hassani began painting walls in December 2010 and became Afghanistan’s first female street artist. Click here to read more (external link).
The Virginian-Pilot: Earlier this month, the now-24-year-old Hanifa Yousoufi, became the first Afghan woman to summit her country’s tallest mountain. Yousoufi reached the summit of Noshaq on Aug. 10 after nearly a month of climbing. At 24,580 feet, it’s the highest point in Afghanistan and the second-highest peak in the Hindu Kush range. Click here to read
Spiegel: Aryana Sayeed, 33, is the only internationally known pop act in Afghanistan. She is adored by youth — and hunted by the Taliban. / Sayeed: “The extremists play with the sexual frustration of young men. On the streets of Afghanistan, 99 percent of the passersby are men. When a woman in burka walks down the
Tolo News: At least 16 girls took part in a bowling competition in Kabul on Thursday in the hope of being selected for the national team’s selection tournament. At the end of the competition, six of the best bowlers were selected to take part in the tournament which will be held later this year. Zuhal
Tolo News: Over 100 women are showcasing their handicrafts at a three-day expo in Kabul that has been organized by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI). Among the goods on display are clothing, shoes and jewelry. However, a number of businesswomen have criticized the Afghan government for not providing the necessary support for them to expand their