Jackie Paling, Assistant Programme Director for Violence and Conflict Resolution gave a talk at Regional Council on 14th June about Afghan Women.The lives of women in Afghanistan were very different from ours in the UK with problems arising from forcible resettlements in the past, the presence of landmines and cultural attitudes which left women’s lives controlled by men. Jackie had been to Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 and related how she had been able to encourage women to extend their craft skills, produce honey, buy fruit trees and farm stock. Violence against women is a crime there but the law is not enforced. The view of the world from behind a bhurka was shared briefly by those who tried some on as shown in this photo.
