Feature: Afghan women make great strides, will never step backwards

"Women in AFGHANistan have overcome numerous challenges and taken a number of measures to empower themselves over the past 17 years," said an AFGHAN female artist as the country marks International Women's Day.

To mark International Women's Day, which falls on March 8 every year, artist Fatima Hussaini exhibited a collection of her photos at the Chinese Embassy in Kabul, aiming to show the world that AFGHAN Women are not all restricted to wearing burqas, which cover a Women's body from head to toe when in public.

Hussaini, who holds a degree in photography from the University of Tehran and specializes in staged photography, said she has mostly focused on Women and femininity in her work. She is also a visual arts performer and has been the main character in her pieces to show that girls and Women can do anything and live any way they want.

In a country like AFGHANistan, where Women and girls have been underrepresented at high social levels for a long time, Hussaini wanted to be an inspiration to them and help them rise above negative public perceptions.

"Everywhere and in various exhibitions, people have been asking me for a picture of an AFGHAN woman wearing a burqa. They ask me if photography and art is allowed in AFGHANistan, which annoys me a lot," she said.

Although the overall situation of Women in AFGHANistan has gradually improved over the last two decades, they are still facing abuse, discrimination and inequality in the conflicted-hit country's rural areas.

Nevertheless, tremendous achievements have been made and involve Women appearing more and more in society. Notable strides forward have been those Women who have been appointed as ministers, deputy ministers and advisors in major government organizations, after the Taliban regime's collapse in 2001.

The AFGHAN photographer, who is also a lecturer at Kabul University, through her photography, decided to show that there are so many positive aspects about Women in AFGHANistan and the image of the subservient Women covered in a burqa is merely a stereotype, nowadays.

Despite receiving negative comments, Hussaini, whose works are featured in many local and international newspapers and magazines told Xinhua that, far from being disappointed, she was becoming more decisive and stronger when it came to the difficulties of portraying the image of AFGHAN Women to the world.

Regarding a photograph in one of her collections called "Driving Behind The Steering Wheel," in which an AFGHAN woman was shown smoking while driving, she explained that it meant that an AFGHAN woman can do what she wants. This includes driving and smoking, which are both private and personal and contrary to false perceptions about Women in AFGHANistan.

In another of her collections is a picture of a burqa-clad woman wearing make-up, showing that a woman can wear make-up even if she is covered with a burqa.

Woman's rights activist, Farida Nekzad, who leads a female journalists' support center, said that AFGHAN Women are not the same as they were 18 years ago when the Taliban were in power. She said females here have advanced, made huge progress and achieved a great deal after the overthrowing of the hardliner Taliban regime.

"After the dark regime of the Taliban, Women struggled to advance, but nowadays we have large numbers of Women working in various government organizations. They work as ministers, parliament members, ambassadors, as well as members of decision-making bodies," Nekzad told Xinhua.

However, growing insecurities are still preventing activists from accessing rural areas to collect information about the situation of Women and girls who are still facing severe conditions.

Females in rural areas have no information about their rights or what International Women's Day means.

Activists want to ensure that their rights are protected and their situation improves amid ongoing peace talks with the Taliban group, in certain rural districts.

Women and girls remain concerned about their freedom, work and education. They want to remind the authorities that they deserve an equal voice and to be heard publicly. They want to ensure their right to education and be protected from inequality and growing violence, once peace talks succeeds.

AFGHANistan First Lady Rula Ghani reassured all AFGHAN Women, particularly female media workers, that their rights would be protected as the government was their main supporters.

At a gathering marking International Women's Day, she said, "I am not worried about you in the peace negotiations, as the current government supports you and you will never step backward."