One out of every four people recruited by Kabul Municipality to clean the streets of the city under a new programme is a woman.
The programme is jointly run by the municipality’s sanitation department and UN Habitat. The army of 2,000 sweepers or naranjapoosh in yellow uniform is hard to miss.
Killid interviewed a few of the women to figure out where they have come from and if there are problems in the work place?
Pari says she is an internally displaced person (IDP) from Baghlan. She has been working as a sweeper for a month. Her eight-member family was starving, she says, and now she is the chief breadwinner. Her disabled husband has not been able to work since the family moved to Kabul.
“It is an honour for me to clean my city, and the money I earn helps my family financially,” she says.
Nasima began work as a sweeper in the 4th District two weeks ago. “The tough financial situation at home had forced me into begging,” she says. “Now thanks to God I am employed. I am grateful I am not begging anymore,” she adds.
But even as she sweeps the street, Nasima who is illiterate has a word of advice for other families. Daughters must be encouraged to study, she feels, because had she studied she would not have been forced to become a sweeper.
As public sanitation workers, the women face harassment and abuse from male passersby and vagabonds.
Zeba says taxi drivers, men pulling wheelbarrows or just idle men feel they can say anything to naranjapoosh like her. They say “come have food with us” or “they hurl insults at our husbands for letting us work”, she says.
“When I and my colleagues face this type of teasing and annoyance, we force ourselves to stay quiet and to continue our work.”
The harassment female sweepers face is of concern to Kabul Municipality. Male employees are posted in areas where women work to stop the harassment by strangers. They have the power to make arrests and hand offenders over to the police.
Ahmad Behzad Giasi, head of sanitation in Kabul Municipality, calls the women sweepers “real heroes as they earn rightfully for their families”. He says the sexual harassment they face in public is a “social crime”. Action has been taken in coordination with the district police.
Najib Danesh, deputy press and public relations head in the Ministry of Interior Affairs, says in an interview, “Police arrest 100 individuals daily across the country who are involved in such type of cases but serious action cannot be taken because there is no law. Police can only recommend correction and counseling.”
Life stories
Delays in salary payments are a chronic concern for sweepers. Gulmakai has been working for four months but paid only for one month. When her colleagues and she visit the sanitation presidency to enquire about salary disbursement, they are sent back empty-handed by officials who each time have a new excuse, she says.
Gulmakai has responsibility of providing for an eight-member family. “We sweepers are waiting for our salary since four months but when we complain to our team leader he rudely says the salary is not his responsibility. ‘If you are happy work otherwise you can find work somewhere else’,” she says.
Salima (name changed) is a sweeper in Karta e Parwan area of Kabul city. Though she was recruited by the presidency of sanitation two months ago she has no idea what her perquisites are. Neither has she been paid. “It is said that the monthly salary is 150 USD and for some 6,000 Afs (88 USD),” she says.
She blames her inability to read and write for not knowing what her salary is. “When I was employed the authorities in sanitation presidency told me your salary is 150 USD. But I am illiterate. I could not read the contract and I put my thumb print where I was told to put. Now we are told our salary is 6,000 Afs.”
Lailuma (name changed at her request) points to widespread corruption in both recruitment and the salary disbursement process. She accuses some employees of the sanitation presidency of taking bribes. “Some authorities in presidency ask money for employing staff. Applicants are told that if you want to get salary in dollars you should pay 300 USD as bribe. We will employ you under that head. But I could not pay the amount and so am deprived of a dollar salary,” says Lailuma.
She talks of women she knows who have borrowed from their relatives to pay 300 USD.
Official response
Kabul Municipality officials dismiss the allegations as baseless and say the process of hiring is transparent.
Ghiasi, the sanitation head, says recruitment of women as sweepers was part of the municipality’s affirmative action plan. “We started recruiting women five months ago. They have to be between 18 and 65, and able to work. The first batch of 14 were recruited in the 4th District. “Naranjapoosh have to spread the cleanliness message among people, collect household garbage and keep public areas clean,” he says.
