Women’s Work Outside the Home

 Written by: Samira Haleemzai

Many Afghans believe that women should do household chores and should not be let work outside the home. Some families allow their daughters to study at school and even university but after graduation, they do not let them have a job and this issue might cause some problems for women.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue.

Shabana, a resident of Kabul city says, “When I graduated from university, I was eager to have a job. I shared the issue with my father-in-law’s family. My husband's brother prevented me from work outside the home and wanted me to do only household chores. Now I am the mother of four children and we live in a rental house. Only my husband gets a salary and he could not fulfill all necessities of the house and is facing many economic problems. I am very sad that I wasted 16 years of learning.”

A woman, a resident of Qarabagh district, Kabul province, who doesn’t want to mention her name in the program, says, “My husband lives abroad and he has not gotten the citizenship of that country yet and I live in my father-in-law’s house. I am literate but they do not let me get a job. I have children and they want me to buy somethings for them but I do not have money and they cry. I suffer many problems.”

What do some women think about the causes of this issue?

Nilofar, a resident of Shakardara district, Kabul province says, “Some women do not believe in their ability that they could work outside the home and sometimes the men of the families think that women work outside the home is shameful for them.”

Shabana says, “The main cause is the interference of the relatives. When I wanted to get a job, my uncle wanted my father to prevent me from the job.”

If a woman has a job, what would be the benefit of it to her family and the community?

Tamana, a doctor at one of the private hospitals in Kabul city says, “When I graduated from the university, I wanted to get a job but some of our relatives told my father that girls should not be allowed to work outside the home. My father convinced them that he spent a lot of money on my study and he allowed me to work outside the home. Now I have a good salary. I support my family and after I am appointed as a female doctor, the problems of the female patients of the area are almost solved.”