In Afghanistan, listening to those who know

They manage their families’ water, sanitation, and health, yet all too often remain invisible in humanitarian decision-making. In Afghanistan, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL upholds a simple conviction: without women, aid misses the mark. The Women in WASH¹ initiative provides concrete proof of this. 

Water, sanitation and survival: a woman’s world 

In Afghanistan, it is women who bear the burden of daily life. They fetch water, manage its use, and take care of hygiene in the home, as well as looking after children and the sick. Yet, when a humanitarian programme is designed, their voices are still too rarely taken into account. 

The consequences are immediate: water points that are too far away, poorly lit latrines that are dangerous at night. Spaces lacking privacy, unsuitable for women’s lives. In times of forced displacement or crisis, these shortcomings leave women and girls even more exposed to insecurity and a loss of dignity. 

Even in emergency situations, involving women is not an option. It is a non-negotiable necessity.
Rayhana Karim, Programme Manager at SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL

“Water is an essential resource for women in all their daily activities,” explains Sameera Noori, director of COAR, a major Afghan NGO. “Their difficulties in accessing water could be resolved by involving them in the design of humanitarian programmes, as was the case before the Taliban’s arrival.” 

Significant social and regional disparities 

Indeed, the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 has meant the gradual adoption of repressive decrees leading to institutionalised discrimination against women. Since then, the reality of their lives has depended on the willingness of families, communities and local authorities to apply Taliban laws strictly or not. Their lives are therefore subject to arbitrariness, depending on the region, income, and level of education within their communities. Thus, in Kabul and in a few provinces, some women are able to enjoy certain rights, such as access to essential services and primary education, or the ability to start a business. In other provinces, particularly those in the south-west of the country, women have no rights and are unable to ask their husbands for anything. It is not uncommon for women in some families to be unable even to express their need for sanitary towels.

Menstrual health : a particularly strong taboo

In many rural areas, due to a lack of resources, taboos and a lack of information, the majority of women use pieces of cloth. Some, based on unfounded beliefs, do not dare to wash or take painkillers during their periods. The consequences are unsurprising: infections, chronic pain and gynaecological complications, which add to absenteeism in an already fragile education system. 

Faced with this, Afghan women who are able to do so are taking action. Zala Ahmad has founded a social enterprise, Safepath, which manufactures washable sanitary pads in Kabul and Kandahar. In doing so, she provides economic security for her 200 employees and works in partnership with SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL to ensure these essential products reach women who are deprived of them. 

She is also developing training programmes to break down taboos, because: “Doing nothing, on the pretext that menstruation is a sensitive subject, only exacerbates the suffering.” 

Organised Afghan women, but lacking sufficient support

Just like Zala and Sameera, many Afghan women are taking action. “ Afghan women are not passive, explains Sameera. They organise themselves into formal or informal groups, negotiate and find solutions.” And all this work pays off, because through negotiation, education and daily efforts, victories are being achieved. Here, the initially reluctant authorities eventually agree to hold a training session for women. There, a mullah provides his daughter with sanitary towels. These advances are only possible thanks to the relentless work of Afghan women to carve out spaces of freedom.  

Women in WASH: putting women back at the heart of solutions

It is with this in mind that the Women in WASH initiative, led by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL, was launched. It aims to re-establish women as experts at the centre of humanitarian aid programmes for water, hygiene and sanitation – a first in Afghanistan. Professionals such as Zala and Sameera are therefore joining forces to better address women’s needs. 

How can women be involved in community decision-making? In areas where women are not permitted to work for NGOs, how can we reach them? What issues do men overlook when they discuss water, hygiene and sanitation needs amongst themselves? Through this initiative, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL aims to bring about lasting change in practices. 

“Involving women in humanitarian programmes is neither a luxury nor an abstract struggle, insists Rayhana Karim. It is an essential condition for aid that is more effective, more dignified and more sustainable.” Because listening to those who know best is already a step towards better action

With the participation of the Crisis and Support Centre of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Photos : © Oriane Zerah / SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL

¹ WASH : water, sanitation, and hygiene