Bibi Firouza, a woman has disability in leg, she can hardly walk; now, she passes day and night in an old and humid room with her preschool and school age three children. She works people’s homes, even though she has disability in her leg.
“My husband was a car driver, unfortunately I lost him in a suicide bomb. I was left with three small children and our economic situation is very bad.”
Firouza continues to speak with tears in her eyes while grasping her throat.
“We live in a rented house. Our days and nights pass harshly. I go people’s houses to work every day to find a piece of bread for my children with disable leg. I am worried that I cannot do anything for my children’s future.”
Asma, another lady who lost both her legs in an accident, with a face full of pain and sadness, has complaint of not being able to achieve her dreams.
“I have studied and worked hard fourteen years, but I could not find a job, the work environment is not in favor for disabled people, especially women, and there is no specific plan to solve the problems of disabled women. This situation has caused despair of life.”
Mastora, a young girl, was paralyzed by polio at the age of six, says that none of organization cooperates her to ease the burden of problems.
“We, disabled women, have a lot of problems; we have mental, economical problems, among the community and everywhere. I used to sew, but at the moment, due to lack of work opportunity and bad economic situation, people do not make clothes for them, and I cannot do anything else. I want to do something, so I won’t be a burden to my family.”
But officials at the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs says that this ministry has provided work for a large number of women having disabilities. Mufti Faisal, the spokesperson of the ministry, says, “There are 190 thousand disabled people registered at the ministry, but it is not clear how many of them are women and salary of disabled people will be paid after the survey and budget approval.”
Meantime, Najmuddin Hilal, the director of the central rehabilitation department of the Red Cross, said about the services of this charitable organization for the disabled that this organization provides the same services for disabled women and men.
He adds that every year in Kabul alone 9,900 disabled people, including men, women and children, come to the Red Cross.
“We have seven medical centers in provinces and many women come to us. Our services are the same for everyone. About 250-300 men and women come to us daily. We make limbs (arm and leg) for the disabled in these centers and also give practice for paralyzed.”
In general, addition to lack of work opportunities for women having disabilities, these women have complaints about people’s mistreatment, lack of learning opportunity, economic and social problems. They want the Islamic Emirate to pay serious attention to women having disabilities and provide them work getting lawful sustenance.
Translated by Muhammad Yousuf “Zakir”
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