Who We Serve

Voices from the Chorus

“In Afghanistan itself, girls are beginning to attend school and women’s magazines are starting up, but brothels are proliferating, poverty has led some families to sell their children, and widows continue to beg on the streets in order to provide for their children.”

—Homaira Mamoor,
Women for Afghan Women

“After the fall of the Taliban everyone wanted to come and work for women’s rights, they were proud to say they were here to help Afghan women. Slowly, slowly this disappeared. Maybe the international community saw that we had two or three women in the cabinet, and thought, it’s ok, now they have their rights. But we have lost everything, from those cabinet positions to the donor attention. Women are not a priority for our own government or the international community. We’ve been forgotten.”

—Shinkai Karokhail, member of parliament, Kabul, June 4, 2009

“Eight years after the fall of the Taliban, and the establishment of the Karzai government, Afghan women continue to be among the worst off in the world. Their situation is dismal in every area, including in health, education, employment, freedom from violence, equality before the law, and political participation.”

—Human Rights Watch, “We Have the Promises of the World,” 2009

“Afghan women in general and widows in particular do not have a voice to express their problems and are also deprived of meaningful representation in public institutions.”

—Soraya Subhrang, member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

“In many developing societies, and certainly poor societies, where women may lack access to education and jobs and resources, their livelihood depends on their husband. When they lose him, their livelihood is completely gone.”

—Patricia Morris, Program Director, Women for Women International

“Widows are very much dependent on their in-laws. Particularly the husband’s brothers, the male members of the family, have a lot of say. The widows can lose their homes, they can even lose their children. But now [after receiving help from Beyond the 11th] the woman has a source of income, so she’s able to stand up to them and say, ‘I’m supporting my own children, I’m not depending on you, so what business is it of yours if I’m sending my children to school?’”

—Rick Perera, Spokesman, CARE International

“In Afghanistan’s patriarchal society, the death of a husband not only diminishes a woman’s economic independence but also damages her sense of social protection.”

—Hussain Ali Moin, official at the Afghanistan Ministry of Women’s Affairs

“Widowed women are also at greater risk of emotional problems and impaired psychosocial functioning than either married women or men, typically because of social exclusion, forced marriages, gender-based violence and lack of economic and educational opportunities.”

—Deborah Zalesne, Professor of Law, City University of New York,
Beyond the 11th Board Member

Afghan women continue to be among the worst off in the world. Their situation is dismal in every area, including in health, education, employment, freedom from violence, equality before the law, and political participation.



Who We Serve Overview Voices from the Chorus Impact NGO Partners Arzu Bpeace CARE International Women for Women International	Voices from the Chorus “In Afghanistan itself, girls are beginning to attend school and women’s magazines are starting up, but brothels are proliferating, poverty has led some families to sell their children, and widows continue to beg on the streets in order to provide for their children.” —Homaira Mamoor, Women for Afghan Women “After the fall of the Taliban everyone wanted to come and work for women’s rights, they were proud to say they were here to help Afghan women. Slowly, slowly this disappeared. Maybe the international community saw that we had two or three women in the cabinet, and thought, it’s ok, now they have their rights. But we have lost everything, from those cabinet positions to the donor attention. Women are not a priority for our own government or the international community. We’ve been forgotten.” —Shinkai Karokhail, member of parliament, Kabul, June 4, 2009 “Eight years after the fall of the Taliban, and the establishment of the Karzai government, Afghan women continue to be among the worst off in the world. Their situation is dismal in every area, including in health, education, employment, freedom from violence, equality before the law, and political participation.” —Human Rights Watch, “We Have the Promises of the World,” 2009 “Afghan women in general and widows in particular do not have a voice to express their problems and are also deprived of meaningful representation in public institutions.” —Soraya Subhrang, member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission “In many developing societies, and certainly poor societies, where women may lack access to education and jobs and resources, their livelihood depends on their husband. When they lose him, their livelihood is completely gone.” —Patricia Morris, Program Director, Women for Women International “Widows are very much dependent on their in-laws. Particularly the husband’s brothers, the male members of the family, have a lot of say. The widows can lose their homes, they can even lose their children. But now [after receiving help from Beyond the 11th] the woman has a source of income, so she’s able to stand up to them and say, ‘I’m supporting my own children, I’m not depending on you, so what business is it of yours if I’m sending my children to school?’” —Rick Perera, Spokesman, CARE International “In Afghanistan’s patriarchal society, the death of a husband not only diminishes a woman’s economic independence but also damages her sense of social protection.” —Hussain Ali Moin, official at the Afghanistan Ministry of Women’s Affairs “Widowed women are also at greater risk of emotional problems and impaired psychosocial functioning than either married women or men, typically because of social exclusion, forced marriages, gender-based violence and lack of economic and educational opportunities.” —Deborah Zalesne, Professor of Law, City University of New York, Beyond the 11th Board Member	Afghan women continue to be among the worst off in the world. Their situation is dismal in every area, including in health, education, employment, freedom from violence, equality before the law, and political participation.