The United States has urged for the involvement of Afghan women in the ongoing peace process and make sure that their voices are heard during the negotiations with the Taliban.

In a letter, members of the US Congress have told US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo that the Afghan women were excluded from the peace talks during the February and May peace negotiations between the US negotiators and the Taliban members in Doha, Tolo News reported.

"Yet during the February and May talks in Doha between American diplomates and the Taliban, Afghan women were not represented. Afghan women voices need to be heard - not just on women`s rights, but on the future of their country. We urge the State Department to protect Afghan women`s negotiation position and hard-won gains in all discussions with the Taliban," the letter read.

A copy of the letter, which has also been sent to the US Special Representative on Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, has further asked the State Department to make sure that the achievements of the Afghan women in the past 18 years should be protected.

US lawmakers quoting the US Institute of Peace have said more than 68,000 Afghan women are employed in schools and universities, at least 10,000 Afghan women are doctors and healthcare professionals, and Afghan women entrepreneurs have created roughly 77,000 jobs for Afghans which are big gains that must be preserved.

Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, a women`s rights activist and a former advisor to President Ashraf Ghani, said, "If you are not sitting around the table, you cannot remain in the government. Those who gather around the table, they make peace with each other; peace on their thoughts and peace on their different point of views. If you are not on the table, it means having a different point of view or having a shared point is not important."

"Afghan women have also called for their voices to be heard and today that the US Congress members have sent the letter. It is a positive step and it means that they completely support women`s participation," said Shinkai Karokhail, a member of the Afghan Parliament was quoted as saying.

In response to the calls, Khalilzad has said that women`s rights and achievements in war-ravaged Afghanistan will be protected.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The United States has urged for the involvement of Afghan women in the ongoing peace process and make sure that their voices are heard during the negotiations with the Taliban.

The United States has urged for the involvement of Afghan women in the ongoing peace process and make sure that their voices are heard during the negotiations with the Taliban. In a letter, members of the US Congress have told US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo that the Afghan women were excluded from the peace talks during the February and May peace negotiations between the US negotiators and the Taliban members in Doha, Tolo News reported. "Yet during the February and May talks in Doha between American diplomates and the Taliban, Afghan women were not represented. Afghan women voices need to be heard - not just on women`s rights, but on the future of their country. We urge the State Department to protect Afghan women`s negotiation position and hard-won gains in all discussions with the Taliban," the letter read. A copy of the letter, which has also been sent to the US Special Representative on Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, has further asked the State Department to make sure that the achievements of the Afghan women in the past 18 years should be protected. US lawmakers quoting the US Institute of Peace have said more than 68,000 Afghan women are employed in schools and universities, at least 10,000 Afghan women are doctors and healthcare professionals, and Afghan women entrepreneurs have created roughly 77,000 jobs for Afghans which are big gains that must be preserved. Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, a women`s rights activist and a former advisor to President Ashraf Ghani, said, "If you are not sitting around the table, you cannot remain in the government. Those who gather around the table, they make peace with each other; peace on their thoughts and peace on their different point of views. If you are not on the table, it means having a different point of view or having a shared point is not important." "Afghan women have also called for their voices to be heard and today that the US Congress members have sent the letter. It is a positive step and it means that they completely support women`s participation," said Shinkai Karokhail, a member of the Afghan Parliament was quoted as saying. In response to the calls, Khalilzad has said that women`s rights and achievements in war-ravaged Afghanistan will be protected.

US urges inclusion of Afghan women in ongoing peace talks

Afghanistan women want more representation in peace talks. Women want a place in Afghanistan peace talks. Watch video to know more.

Afghan women demand strong voice in peace talks

Kobra Samim, who rides for Afghanistan's national cycling team, wrote on Facebook that women's participation in sport is her "red line" as the US tries to forge a peace deal with the Taliban.

Former politician Farkhunda Zahra Naderi tweeted that the protection of female leadership roles should be non-negotiable. And activist Samira Hamidi is demanding that women be included in the peace talks.

Across Afghanistan, women have taken to social media to join a campaign dubbed #MyRedLine that aims to pressure the government, the Taliban and the United States into ensuring women's hard-won advancements are not tossed aside in a rush for a peace accord.

"If the Taliban come back, we won't have the right to education, sports, and we will even be banned from coming out of houses," Samim, 23, told AFP as she adjusted the saddle on her mountain bike before setting off along a run-down Kabul street.&nbsp;

"We want peace, but also we want to continue our sports and cycling."

Farahnaz Forotan, a journalist and activist who started the #MyRedLine campaign with support from UN Women Afghanistan, said her own red line was "my pen and my freedom of expression".&nbsp;

"If peace doesn't bring social justice to all victims of war in every corner of the country, then it won't be a stable peace," Forotan told AFP.

She said the #MyRedLine hashtag had been shared or retweeted thousands of times since the social media campaign was launched last month, with even President Ashraf Ghani tweeting that women's rights were the government's "red line" in the peace process.

The campaign is also being shared on Facebook, in English, Pashto and Dari.&nbsp;

'More vulnerable than anyone'

Before being toppled by the US invasion of 2001, the Taliban governed Afghanistan for nearly five years with a strict interpretation of sharia law.

Women were confined to their homes, forced to wear burqas and forbidden from going to school. Some were publicly stoned to death on flimsy allegations of adultery.

"Women were more vulnerable than anyone during the Taliban regime," Forotan said.

The United States is holding direct talks with Taliban leaders -- all men --- in a bid to forge a peace deal.&nbsp;

Two Afghan women were invited to informal talks in Moscow in February between the Taliban and Afghan representatives, but their presence was very peripheral.&nbsp;

A second, similar summit between Afghan delegates and the insurgents that was to take place in Doha this weekend and had been set to include more women has been postponed indefinitely.

International observers have blasted the talks, led on the US side by peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, for their lack of female inclusion.

Other social media hashtags such as #afghanwomenwillnotgoback have also gained traction, and Khalilzad appears to have taken note.

On a trip to Afghanistan this month, the Afghan-born American envoy met with locals from all walks of life and with women's groups.

The Taliban, however, appear unmoved. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently tweeted to deny reports that women were being included in the Taliban negotiating team and "neither do we believe it is necessary".

'Tough odds'

Heather Barr, the acting co-director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, said the online campaign was encouraging.&nbsp;

"They're up against tough odds at the moment, but their efforts are a sign that Afghan society is changing in fundamental ways, regardless of the outcome of these talks," Barr told AFP.

In the United States, powerful women are lending their voices to the Afghan campaign.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who sits on the influential Senate Armed Services Committee that oversees the US military, said such a move is key.

"Women's interests, as well as the interests of a broad segment of Afghan society need to be included as part of any negotiation," Shaheen told a group of journalists on a visit to Kabul this week.&nbsp;

"It is vital for women to be included in talks with the Taliban."

American actor and United Nations special envoy Angelina Jolie brought some celebrity power to the campaign last week, penning an opinion piece in TIME magazine calling for women to be included in "significant" numbers.&nbsp;

"Afghan women must be able to speak for themselves," Jolie wrote.&nbsp;

Kobra Samim, who rides for Afghanistan's national cycling team, wrote on Facebook that women's participation in sport is her "red line" as the US tries to forge a peace deal with the Taliban.

Kobra Samim, who rides for Afghanistan's national cycling team, wrote on Facebook that women's participation in sport is her "red line" as the US tries to forge a peace deal with the Taliban. Former politician Farkhunda Zahra Naderi tweeted that the protection of female leadership roles should be non-negotiable. And activist Samira Hamidi is demanding that women be included in the peace talks. Across Afghanistan, women have taken to social media to join a campaign dubbed #MyRedLine that aims to pressure the government, the Taliban and the United States into ensuring women's hard-won advancements are not tossed aside in a rush for a peace accord. "If the Taliban come back, we won't have the right to education, sports, and we will even be banned from coming out of houses," Samim, 23, told AFP as she adjusted the saddle on her mountain bike before setting off along a run-down Kabul street. "We want peace, but also we want to continue our sports and cycling." Farahnaz Forotan, a journalist and activist who started the #MyRedLine campaign with support from UN Women Afghanistan, said her own red line was "my pen and my freedom of expression". "If peace doesn't bring social justice to all victims of war in every corner of the country, then it won't be a stable peace," Forotan told AFP. She said the #MyRedLine hashtag had been shared or retweeted thousands of times since the social media campaign was launched last month, with even President Ashraf Ghani tweeting that women's rights were the government's "red line" in the peace process. The campaign is also being shared on Facebook, in English, Pashto and Dari. 'More vulnerable than anyone' Before being toppled by the US invasion of 2001, the Taliban governed Afghanistan for nearly five years with a strict interpretation of sharia law. Women were confined to their homes, forced to wear burqas and forbidden from going to school. Some were publicly stoned to death on flimsy allegations of adultery. "Women were more vulnerable than anyone during the Taliban regime," Forotan said. The United States is holding direct talks with Taliban leaders -- all men --- in a bid to forge a peace deal. Two Afghan women were invited to informal talks in Moscow in February between the Taliban and Afghan representatives, but their presence was very peripheral. A second, similar summit between Afghan delegates and the insurgents that was to take place in Doha this weekend and had been set to include more women has been postponed indefinitely. International observers have blasted the talks, led on the US side by peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, for their lack of female inclusion. Other social media hashtags such as #afghanwomenwillnotgoback have also gained traction, and Khalilzad appears to have taken note. On a trip to Afghanistan this month, the Afghan-born American envoy met with locals from all walks of life and with women's groups. The Taliban, however, appear unmoved. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently tweeted to deny reports that women were being included in the Taliban negotiating team and "neither do we believe it is necessary". 'Tough odds' Heather Barr, the acting co-director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, said the online campaign was encouraging. "They're up against tough odds at the moment, but their efforts are a sign that Afghan society is changing in fundamental ways, regardless of the outcome of these talks," Barr told AFP. In the United States, powerful women are lending their voices to the Afghan campaign. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who sits on the influential Senate Armed Services Committee that oversees the US military, said such a move is key. "Women's interests, as well as the interests of a broad segment of Afghan society need to be included as part of any negotiation," Shaheen told a group of journalists on a visit to Kabul this week. "It is vital for women to be included in talks with the Taliban." American actor and United Nations special envoy Angelina Jolie brought some celebrity power to the campaign last week, penning an opinion piece in TIME magazine calling for women to be included in "significant" numbers. "Afghan women must be able to speak for themselves," Jolie wrote.

Afghan women go online to set #myredline for peace

It is naive to think the Taliban have changed their stance on women's rights, says Kabul restaurateur Laila Haidari, who like many educated Afghan women fears any peace deal between the extremists and the US could erode hard-won freedoms.

Draconian rules that once forced half the population behind closed doors —barred from education and work— have been chipped away in the nearly two decades since the US-led invasion that swept the Taliban from power.

"If they return, women will have to leave the public space," Haidari tells AFP from the restaurant she runs in Kabul, one of the few places in the capital where men and women dine together.

Haidari launched the #metooafghanistan movement which she and others hope will be a vanguard of Afghan women who can hold the line against Taliban power.

"We never want to go back. We never want to lose our freedom," says Mina Rezaee, the owner of another cafe in Kabul, where music — banned under the Taliban — plays in the background.

After six days of negotiations in Qatar, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-control-slips-in-afghanistan-amid-us-talks-with-taliban-194042">US and Taliban</a> have agreed on a draft framework for a deal which could pave the way for the insurgents to hold peace talks with Kabul.

With the US desperate to withdraw from Afghanistan, and the Taliban in control of vast parts of the country, it is unclear what a post-conflict government would look like.

Any participation by the Taliban, however, frightens many women.

Before being toppled by the US invasion of 2001, the Taliban governed Afghanistan for nearly five years with a strict interpretation of Shariah law.

"We still remember how hard it was to be a woman under Taliban rule," says Naweeda Bayat, a 25-year-old from central Jaghori district.&nbsp;

"I was a kid, but I remember they burned our school right in front of our eyes."

The government in Kabul controls less than two-thirds of the country, according to a US estimate — and in Taliban-controlled areas, nothing has changed.

"They have either burned girls' schools or don't allow women to work," Bayat says. "This tells us how they might be if they come back."

'Shut out'

Afghan women have even more reason to worry if they are "shut out of the negotiation process, as they mostly have been," says Heather Barr, a senior women's rights researcher.

"The Taliban's attitude toward women has moderated slightly since 2001, but it is still a million miles away from the equal rights women are granted under Afghanistan's constitution," she observes.

The position of women in Afghanistan has undeniably improved since 2001.

More than 2.5 million of the eight million school children are girls, according to the UN. More than a quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for women and in 2016 they made up nearly a fifth of the workforce.

But despite the progress — and millions spent by Western aid programmes since 2001 — Afghanistan ranks last in the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security index which measures well-being and self-reliance.

The fears of educated women in the capital are shared by those in rural areas, where the literacy rate can be less than two per cent and rights are often even more constrained by conservative tradition.

Hasina, a 32-year-old mother of one in the disputed southern province of Helmand, says she dreads going backwards.

"We are worried and afraid for our lives," she says.

"If the Taliban come back and ban schools for my children, or don't allow me to go out without my husband, this is not acceptable for me," says Nazia Rezaee, a 35-year-old in the central city of Ghazni.

Afghan women 'have changed'&nbsp;

Several feminist activists told AFP they believe the country has changed and Afghan women will not allow their rights to be taken away without a fight.

"Afghan women are stronger, more informed, more educated than ever, and no one, including men, will agree to return to what Afghanistan was in 1998," says Fawzia Koofi, who heads the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Human Rights.&nbsp;

Activist Attia Mehraban feels the same. "I dream of peace, like millions of other Afghans, but I dream more vividly of my freedom and rights as a 21st Century human being," she told AFP.

"The price of peace cannot be limitless."

Her message to the Taliban, she said, is "Afghan women have changed... If you think you can come back with the same ideology ... you are wrong, you will be facing a formidable force of well-educated Afghan women who are conscious of their rights and who will not give in to oppression."

Hosai Andar, a businesswoman in her 40s, said she could "not imagine the world would abandon us once again".

"I am an optimist," she told AFP. "They will stay with us."

It is naive to think the Taliban have changed their stance on women's rights, says Kabul restaurateur Laila Haidari, who like many educated Afghan women fears any peace deal between the extremists and the US could erode hard-won freedoms.

It is naive to think the Taliban have changed their stance on women's rights, says Kabul restaurateur Laila Haidari, who like many educated Afghan women fears any peace deal between the extremists and the US could erode hard-won freedoms. Draconian rules that once forced half the population behind closed doors —barred from education and work— have been chipped away in the nearly two decades since the US-led invasion that swept the Taliban from power. "If they return, women will have to leave the public space," Haidari tells AFP from the restaurant she runs in Kabul, one of the few places in the capital where men and women dine together. Haidari launched the #metooafghanistan movement which she and others hope will be a vanguard of Afghan women who can hold the line against Taliban power. "We never want to go back. We never want to lose our freedom," says Mina Rezaee, the owner of another cafe in Kabul, where music — banned under the Taliban — plays in the background. After six days of negotiations in Qatar, the US and Taliban have agreed on a draft framework for a deal which could pave the way for the insurgents to hold peace talks with Kabul. With the US desperate to withdraw from Afghanistan, and the Taliban in control of vast parts of the country, it is unclear what a post-conflict government would look like. Any participation by the Taliban, however, frightens many women. Before being toppled by the US invasion of 2001, the Taliban governed Afghanistan for nearly five years with a strict interpretation of Shariah law. "We still remember how hard it was to be a woman under Taliban rule," says Naweeda Bayat, a 25-year-old from central Jaghori district. "I was a kid, but I remember they burned our school right in front of our eyes." The government in Kabul controls less than two-thirds of the country, according to a US estimate — and in Taliban-controlled areas, nothing has changed. "They have either burned girls' schools or don't allow women to work," Bayat says. "This tells us how they might be if they come back." 'Shut out' Afghan women have even more reason to worry if they are "shut out of the negotiation process, as they mostly have been," says Heather Barr, a senior women's rights researcher. "The Taliban's attitude toward women has moderated slightly since 2001, but it is still a million miles away from the equal rights women are granted under Afghanistan's constitution," she observes. The position of women in Afghanistan has undeniably improved since 2001. More than 2.5 million of the eight million school children are girls, according to the UN. More than a quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for women and in 2016 they made up nearly a fifth of the workforce. But despite the progress — and millions spent by Western aid programmes since 2001 — Afghanistan ranks last in the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security index which measures well-being and self-reliance. The fears of educated women in the capital are shared by those in rural areas, where the literacy rate can be less than two per cent and rights are often even more constrained by conservative tradition. Hasina, a 32-year-old mother of one in the disputed southern province of Helmand, says she dreads going backwards. "We are worried and afraid for our lives," she says. "If the Taliban come back and ban schools for my children, or don't allow me to go out without my husband, this is not acceptable for me," says Nazia Rezaee, a 35-year-old in the central city of Ghazni. Afghan women 'have changed' Several feminist activists told AFP they believe the country has changed and Afghan women will not allow their rights to be taken away without a fight. "Afghan women are stronger, more informed, more educated than ever, and no one, including men, will agree to return to what Afghanistan was in 1998," says Fawzia Koofi, who heads the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Human Rights. Activist Attia Mehraban feels the same. "I dream of peace, like millions of other Afghans, but I dream more vividly of my freedom and rights as a 21st Century human being," she told AFP. "The price of peace cannot be limitless." Her message to the Taliban, she said, is "Afghan women have changed... If you think you can come back with the same ideology ... you are wrong, you will be facing a formidable force of well-educated Afghan women who are conscious of their rights and who will not give in to oppression." Hosai Andar, a businesswoman in her 40s, said she could "not imagine the world would abandon us once again". "I am an optimist," she told AFP. "They will stay with us."

Afghan women fear cost of peace will be their freedom

Clad in a black hijab tucked carefully to fit the frame of her face, 37-year-old Shaheen (name changed) is busy jotting down notes in Persian. The room is dimly lit and it&rsquo;s a hot summer day in the Indian capital. She stops, her hands leave the diary to reach out for the calculator on the table. Five other veiled women sit around the table. They are speaking fluent Dari, one of the major languages spoken in Afghanistan. It is one animated conversation. 
 
Shaheen looks up and says, &ldquo;We have to prepare food for 250 heads tomorrow. We are trying to decide who makes what. This is our biggest order till date and we are nervous. If they like the food, we are going to make good money.&rdquo; 
 
The small room serves as an office for Ilham, a catering start-up run by six Afghan women, all of them single mothers living as refugees in New Delhi. The venture kicked off in 2015 with help from United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its implementing agency ACCESS Development Services (ADS). Their aim is to help these women achieve economic independence by putting their culinary skills to use. 
 
&ldquo;The profit from our first order was 750 Indian Rupees ($11). It&rsquo;s a really small amount but it was extremely significant for us. That&rsquo;s how Ilham started,&rdquo; says Ziagul, co-founder of the catering service. The menu is Afghan only and the food is home-cooked. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kh5cwU-SrRY" width="560"></iframe> 
 
A widow and a mother of five, Ziagul came to India in 2011 after she started receiving death threats from the Taliban. Her husband was killed by unidentified men back in 2001 but she continued to stay at her home in Herat, Afghanistan. It was only when she realised that her daughters were in danger that she decided to move to India. 
 
&ldquo;My eldest daughter was a television reporter and my two younger daughters were child actresses in the Afghan film industry. The Taliban threatened us because they thought television was not a place for respectable women,&rdquo; she says. 
 
Ilham is like a mind balm for these ladies who have seen their lives ripped apart in a land that has constantly witnessed conflict since the end of the 1970s. 
 
&ldquo;The word Ilham means &lsquo;positive&rsquo;. After years of bloodshed and struggle, this is the only positive thing to have happened in our lives,&rdquo; says Shaheen, the lone interpreter in the group. She picked up Hindi by watching Indian movies, she tells WIONews. 
 
Shaheen used to teach at a college in Kabul before her husband was abducted by the Taliban. 
 
&ldquo;His friends say he was shot dead but I didn&rsquo;t even get to see his body. I had to take care of four children. I did have a job but the situation became worse when my in-laws asked me to marry my husband&rsquo;s brother. I refused and was tortured. And that&#39;s why I ran away with my children.&rdquo; 
 
After making her way to New Delhi, Shaheen sustained her family by working as a domestic help before joining Ilham. It has been four years since she arrived here. She hasn&rsquo;t been able to enrol her children in a school. 
 
&ldquo;The money was never enough. We barely managed to eat and pay our rent. It&rsquo;s kind of an irony that I had the best of education possible for a woman in that conflict-torn country and that my children are uneducated.&rdquo; 
 
But Ilham has filled her with renewed hope. &ldquo;Ever since I have joined the business, I see hope for them.&rdquo; 
 
Refugee life for Nadira (name changed), the youngest in the group, has been tough because she does not understand Hindi. While the other women praise her recipe of Afghan dumplings, Nadira talks about her family. 
 
&ldquo;I divorced my husband because he was abusive and a drug addict. Afghanistan is a hostile place for a separated woman. So, I decided to come to India with my daughter and younger siblings,&rdquo; she says. 
 
Unlike Shaheen, Nadira has had little education. Ilham is her first taste of empowerment. &ldquo;I see other women at Ilham as liberated Afghan women and that&rsquo;s what I want to be,&rdquo; she says. 
 
The Afghan ladies have attended workshops on enterprise development and teamwork. They have learned to&nbsp;deal with clients. Though the funding is non government organisation-backed (NGO-backed) at the moment, the women hope that Ilham will soon stand on its own feet. 
 
&ldquo;The NGO is an implementing partner of UNHCR and we have provided these women with the banners, visiting cards and raw materials. But the idea is to turn this into a self-sustainable venture. We are getting them used to running a business,&rdquo; says Aditi Sabharwal from ADS. 
 
The venture seems to be on the right track. In the past one year, Ilham has taken part in quite a few popular cultural festivals organised here. According to ADS, it is fast becoming a rage in various embassies in New Delhi to order food from there. 
 
Meanwhile, another good news comes in. It is a big one. It is an invite from one of the biggest hotels in New Delhi to cook in the hotel&rsquo;s kitchen. 
 
&ldquo;It is overwhelming. We are a little scared because it is a luxury hotel kitchen. But this opportunity shows Ilham is working. The aim now is to get more such orders so that we have enough money to expand our business and to save for our families,&rdquo; says Ziagul, who wants Ilham to transform into a restaurant, before getting back to work. 
 
Tomorrow is going to be very busy for these Afghan women. A lot is riding on their shoulders: a good future for them and their families. And, possibly, the hope of thousands of displaced people.

Breaking away from the stereotype of disempowered refugees, six women from war-torn Afghanistan are seeking to turn their fortunes around

Clad in a black hijab tucked carefully to fit the frame of her face, 37-year-old Shaheen (name changed) is busy jotting down notes in Persian. The room is dimly lit and it’s a hot summer day in the Indian capital. She stops, her hands leave the diary to reach out for the calculator on the table. Five other veiled women sit around the table. They are speaking fluent Dari, one of the major languages spoken in Afghanistan. It is one animated conversation. Shaheen looks up and says, “We have to prepare food for 250 heads tomorrow. We are trying to decide who makes what. This is our biggest order till date and we are nervous. If they like the food, we are going to make good money.” The small room serves as an office for Ilham, a catering start-up run by six Afghan women, all of them single mothers living as refugees in New Delhi. The venture kicked off in 2015 with help from United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its implementing agency ACCESS Development Services (ADS). Their aim is to help these women achieve economic independence by putting their culinary skills to use. “The profit from our first order was 750 Indian Rupees ($11). It’s a really small amount but it was extremely significant for us. That’s how Ilham started,” says Ziagul, co-founder of the catering service. The menu is Afghan only and the food is home-cooked. A widow and a mother of five, Ziagul came to India in 2011 after she started receiving death threats from the Taliban. Her husband was killed by unidentified men back in 2001 but she continued to stay at her home in Herat, Afghanistan. It was only when she realised that her daughters were in danger that she decided to move to India. “My eldest daughter was a television reporter and my two younger daughters were child actresses in the Afghan film industry. The Taliban threatened us because they thought television was not a place for respectable women,” she says. Ilham is like a mind balm for these ladies who have seen their lives ripped apart in a land that has constantly witnessed conflict since the end of the 1970s. “The word Ilham means ‘positive’. After years of bloodshed and struggle, this is the only positive thing to have happened in our lives,” says Shaheen, the lone interpreter in the group. She picked up Hindi by watching Indian movies, she tells WIONews. Shaheen used to teach at a college in Kabul before her husband was abducted by the Taliban. “His friends say he was shot dead but I didn’t even get to see his body. I had to take care of four children. I did have a job but the situation became worse when my in-laws asked me to marry my husband’s brother. I refused and was tortured. And that's why I ran away with my children.” After making her way to New Delhi, Shaheen sustained her family by working as a domestic help before joining Ilham. It has been four years since she arrived here. She hasn’t been able to enrol her children in a school. “The money was never enough. We barely managed to eat and pay our rent. It’s kind of an irony that I had the best of education possible for a woman in that conflict-torn country and that my children are uneducated.” But Ilham has filled her with renewed hope. “Ever since I have joined the business, I see hope for them.” Refugee life for Nadira (name changed), the youngest in the group, has been tough because she does not understand Hindi. While the other women praise her recipe of Afghan dumplings, Nadira talks about her family. “I divorced my husband because he was abusive and a drug addict. Afghanistan is a hostile place for a separated woman. So, I decided to come to India with my daughter and younger siblings,” she says. Unlike Shaheen, Nadira has had little education. Ilham is her first taste of empowerment. “I see other women at Ilham as liberated Afghan women and that’s what I want to be,” she says. The Afghan ladies have attended workshops on enterprise development and teamwork. They have learned to deal with clients. Though the funding is non government organisation-backed (NGO-backed) at the moment, the women hope that Ilham will soon stand on its own feet. “The NGO is an implementing partner of UNHCR and we have provided these women with the banners, visiting cards and raw materials. But the idea is to turn this into a self-sustainable venture. We are getting them used to running a business,” says Aditi Sabharwal from ADS. The venture seems to be on the right track. In the past one year, Ilham has taken part in quite a few popular cultural festivals organised here. According to ADS, it is fast becoming a rage in various embassies in New Delhi to order food from there. Meanwhile, another good news comes in. It is a big one. It is an invite from one of the biggest hotels in New Delhi to cook in the hotel’s kitchen. “It is overwhelming. We are a little scared because it is a luxury hotel kitchen. But this opportunity shows Ilham is working. The aim now is to get more such orders so that we have enough money to expand our business and to save for our families,” says Ziagul, who wants Ilham to transform into a restaurant, before getting back to work. Tomorrow is going to be very busy for these Afghan women. A lot is riding on their shoulders: a good future for them and their families. And, possibly, the hope of thousands of displaced people.

Broth of hope: Afghan refugee women turn entrepreneurs

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US urges inclusion of Afghan women in ongoing peace talks

Afghan women demand strong voice in peace talks

Afghan women go online to set #myredline for peace

Afghan women fear cost of peace will be their freedom

Broth of hope: Afghan refugee women turn entrepreneurs