In recent years, the plight of Afghan women has gained increasing attention, shedding light on the complex interplay between conflict, gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health. Ayesha Ahmad, a researcher committed to dismantling harmful ideologies and practices towards women and girls in conflict-ridden societies, presents a critical reflection on her work in global health. Her research, encapsulated in articles like “A Qualitative Study of Women’s Lived Experiences of Conflict and Domestic Violence in Afghanistan” and “Urgent Health and Humanitarian Needs of the Afghan Population Under the Taliban”, unveils the multifaceted challenges faced by Afghan women and the ethical obligations of researchers in this domain.
Afghanistan’s history, marred by conflict and oppressive regimes, has propelled activism as a crucial strategy for advancing women’s rights. However, as Ahmad points out, governmental approval hurdles and the lack of representation of Muslim women in academia create challenges for effective collaboration between international actors and Afghan activists. The dichotomy between global health actors and recipients further complicates power dynamics, risking the silencing and marginalization of Afghan women activists.
Ahmad emphasizes the need to distinguish between silence and silencing when understanding the experiences of Afghan women. The Where Is My Name campaign exemplifies the deep-seated violence engrained in women’s contextual experiences, prompting a call to create spaces, including academia, receptive to oppressed voices. Drawing on the works of Haideh Moghissi, Ahmad critiques prevailing narratives that portray Afghan women merely as victims, urging a more informed understanding of their lives.
The article furthermore challenges prevailing victimhood narratives by advocating for a comprehensive understanding of Afghan women’s agency and resistance against violence. Ahmad draws parallels with historical figures like Rabia Balkhi and Rabia al Basri, highlighting the instrumental role of narratives, especially poetry, in sustaining women under oppression. The intersectionality of narrative in global health emerges as a powerful tool for channeling activist objectives through academic collaboration.
Recognizing the urgent need for culturally relevant solutions, Ahmad introduces the Storytelling for Health: Acknowledgement, Recovery, and Expression (SHAER) network. This trauma therapeutic intervention, rooted in traditional storytelling, aims to address the mental health needs of women experiencing GBV in conflict settings. Ahmad acknowledges the challenges of balancing academic discourse with the danger faced by women sharing their stories on the frontline. Moreover, she encourages the collaboration between academia and activism and rejects the notion of their inseparability. The SHAER network becomes a symbol of resilience and a shared narrative that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries.
In unveiling the silence surrounding Afghan women’s experiences, Ayesha Ahmad’s work serves as a call for researchers, activists, and academics alike to actively engage with narratives that have been silenced, marginalized, and oppressed. The SHAER initiative stands as a testament to the potential of traditional storytelling in fostering healing, empowerment, and social change for women enduring the complexities of conflict and violence.
Ahmad’s work that I mentioned here can be found at the links below if you’d like to read more from her about these issues:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bioe.12667
https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=3bbaf0a7-02e8-42b6-a235-45264ecc63a6%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#AN=151780449&db=fyh
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01963-2/fulltext