Sometimes we get to see the real Afghanistan. To meet face to face with the "community beneficiaries." Sitting with a group of women in a literacy classroom last fall in Balkh was a helpful reminder of why I am here.
But the pressures to ignore the uncomfortable reality of Afghan women are increasing. USAID's policy is shifting to wider priorities and as a result "Gender issues are going to have to take a back seat ... those pet rocks in our rucksack are wearing us down." The Karzai government is rolling back pro-feminist reforms - including emasculating the safe house system for abused women. And the Taliban ... sly devils that they are ... are circulating rumours that they do not really have a problem with education as long as it is segregated. Of course nothing is official until the horse trading - the rumoured peace talks - actually take place. What we do know is that the violence against schools is unabated - there were more 500 attacks last year killing 170 and injuring three times that many.
Excuse me for a moment.
