.
Naheed Farid was elected to Parliament in 2010 at the age of 27, making her the youngest MP in Afghanistan’s history. She is an advocate for the interests of women and children and serves on the International Relations committee. Previously she was the Executive Director of the Mother and Child Organization of Afghanistan and has worked for the World Food Programme, Medica Mondiale, and Dacaar. Farid holds a master’s degree in international relations from George Washington University.
Explain the road to becoming the youngest parliamentarian in Afghanistan’s history, and some of the obstacles you had to overcome?
I was born in Herat-Afghanistan and am the oldest sibling. I grew up as a child of an immigrant family in Iran, after my family left the country during the invasion of Soviet Union. The Taliban regime started right after my family returned to Afghanistan, and I would say most of my childhood memories are full of Taliban regime darkness.
Like many of my generation, I was forced to drop out of school under the oppressive Taliban regime, spending six years at home, watching as Afghan women were denied rights to education, health and dignity. However, my passion for education could not be dampened, and when the Taliban were overthrown, I went back to school - eventually graduating with a BA degree in Law and Political Science from Herat University. Since then, I’ve worked to provide other Afghan women and young girls with the same opportunities.
In 2010, at the age of 26, I ran for and was elected to the Afghanistan Parliament, becoming one of the youngest elected members in the nation’s history - to the institution that I believe has the capacity to ignite the nation-state-building process in Afghanistan.
As for obstacles, I think it is far more common that you have to overcome many obstacles and suffer some pain before achieving any meaningful target in your life. And the bigger your dreams, the tougher your challenge, the more ambitious your goals, the more likely it is that you will face difficulties on your way towards it.
Undoubtedly, the road in front of me to become a Member of Parliament in Afghanistan was bumpy. I want to be clear that it wasn’t an all-pleasant experience. Being a young female politician requires unattractive sacrifices in the society and family. While others sleep, you work, and while others enjoy their life, you plan and work. And one day you see that bumps become part of your every thought. Some of those bumps in my life can be security threats, ignorance due to being young, working as a woman in a male dominated institution…
I think we all have bumps in the road of our life. And I think we should. Whether they are, small or large, they’re all for our growth and betterment. If we’re not a little uncomfortable, we’re simply not pushing ourselves hard enough.
You’ve often said that your husband is you biggest advocate. Given that, what role do you think men have in supporting women’s leadership?
Yes, my husband has been one of my strongest supporters in my mission to secure rights for Afghanistan’s women, helping me with everything from fundraising, to campaign management, and then working as an MP; I think his role in my success is significant.
I think there has been lots of silence in men about the role and capability of that women have and their power to bring change and stability in the society. We need men like my husband to support their wives boldly, to break up that silence and taboos, and to speak up for the betterment of their life partners, sisters or mothers.
I want to quote Honorable Ban Ki-Moon who said, “Violence against Women and Girls will not be eradicated until all of us - men and boys - refuse to tolerate it”. This is how we can bring change in the society.
How has social media changed the election politics of Afghanistan, and do you see it as a positive method of change within the country, especially as many extremist organizations also use the platforms for recruitment?
Technology and social media invented a new generation of thinkers in every society. In a country like Afghanistan, which practices a young democracy, social media is a floor to speak, express ideas, access information, advocate, and campaign. It is a phenomenal development throughout the history of my country that women, men, youth, and minorities speak so freely and confidently. It’s all because of the gift of social media.
Using social media for extremism recruitment remain a threat to the national security of the country and should be countered case by case, but nothing should stop citizens from using social media and expressing their idea there freely.
What do you think about Obama’s reversal of the U.S. pull-out in Afghanistan, and do you believe the country needs more support from the West, especially in the wake of the sudden capture of Kunduz by the Taliban?
On the night of the fall of Kunduz, I was kept awake, remembering the night my city fell under Taliban control in the summer of 1995, remembering those girls who were imprisoned for an unknown period of time, and remembering how surprisingly the men in my city kept quiet and accepted six years of a black regime ruling our city. I asked myself: in the last 14 years of a new era in Afghanistan, could we raise a generation of brave girls and boys to stand up for their rights? Do we have enough brave girls in Kunduz, who can fight against extremists attack the same way as Kubani girls did against ISIS in Iraq?
This is the question that our allies must ask from themselves too. As long as the Afghanistan people are not capable enough to defend their values, principles, rights, sovereignty, borders, and cities our allies should keep supporting Afghanistan.
In a country that long prohibited women from studying and going to school, the first gender studies program to be offered in an Afghan university is a potent sign of change. What more needs to be done to further women’s education and rights in Afghanistan?
A phrase I love a lot is “We can’t eliminate violence against women by taking the gun out of our son’s hand, but we must take the violence out of our son’s head.” We must train our daughters to be brave enough to speak up, but we must also educate our sons to support their sisters. Altering the culture of violence and subtracting violence from our children’s behavior is a must do. So far, we spent so much money on women’s leadership and gender equality programs, but this is half of the job. Now that our daughters lead, our sons must help them. This is how development and stability comes to a society and until then, we will experience instability and chaos in every aspect of life all over the country.
What do you think needs to change in regards to how both Afghanistan interacts with the United Nations and how the United Nations interacts with Afghanistan?
The UN is the best watchdog to keep Afghanistan accountable to its commitments towards the international community in order to stop violence against women, bring peace and security, fight against corruption, and allocate budgets and efforts for women’s betterment. Afghanistan is now far behind its commitments for the Millennium Development Goals, - this is the government that failed to hold a transparent, free, and fair election that the people deserved in 2014, and now the people think their voting right and democracy are disregarded. Afghanistan’s government responsiveness is short in regards to protecting human rights, and I think the UN is the most unbiased platform to raise those issues and to ask the Afghan government about its strategy towards those challenges.
Additionally, I think voices have been heard at the UN from Afghanistan through the government channel, and obviously its filter. We need to hear more unbiased voices from within the community and civil society of Afghanistan at the UN. I hope one day it becomes possible.
The UN also can review Afghanistan’s war evidence and based on this evidence, recognize those countries that instigate troubles in Afghanistan - those countries that feed extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan and those states that sponsor a proxy war in Afghanistan. The UN is the best organization to recognize those state-sponsored extremism groups and to punish those governments for making Afghanistan conflict part of their foreign affairs interest. It’s the result of those governments’ policy that now Afghans are the largest group of refugees after Syrians.
What role does Pakistani-Afghan bilateral relations have in defeating the Taliban, and how can some of the hostility be bridged between the two nations?
The fact is that the two nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan have the same destiny. They are live next door and they can’t ignore their dependence to each other. Horace says, “It is your business when the wall next door catches fire.” Though many drive Afghan-Pakistani relations towards pessimism, I believe there are many sources of optimism that we can take opportunity from. As far as my government is concern, it is committed to our brotherly relations with Pakistan, but always alerts of the challenges that may strain our efforts at building trust and confidence.
I always tell my Pakistani counterparts, “Let’s jump to navigate over solutions.” Let’s get rid of the fifth-column of extremism and fundamentalism inside of our governments. I ask my Pakistani friends to ask their government to accept Afghanistan as a sovereign country that follows its national interest, and ask their government to get rid of Pakistan’s so-called proxy war in Afghanistan.
There is a Pakistan-phobia all around Afghanistan. A blame game goes on and on here. I think this hostility must end as soon as possible and we have no solution except building trust between two countries, and talking. Only then we can speak about Pakistan’s consistency in order to bring Taliban to negotiation.
What final message about the future of Afghanistan do you want to leave for our readers?
First, I would like to call upon the donating nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in their projects for Afghanistan.
My message to my sisters is to be brave, to embrace the strength within themselves and to realize their full potential.
My message to my brothers is that we cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.
My message to my fellow citizens is that “Let’s start a movement, a movement that consists of women who don’t hesitate to speak up for their rights and dignity, and men who aren’t afraid to stop violence against women.”
Photo by wdn.org
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
a global affairs media network
Interview with Afghan MP Naheed Farid
November 3, 2015
Naheed Farid was elected to Parliament in 2010 at the age of 27, making her the youngest MP in Afghanistan’s history. She is an advocate for the interests of women and children and serves on the International Relations committee. Previously she was the Executive Director of the Mother and Child Organization of Afghanistan and has worked for the World Food Programme, Medica Mondiale, and Dacaar. Farid holds a master’s degree in international relations from George Washington University.
Explain the road to becoming the youngest parliamentarian in Afghanistan’s history, and some of the obstacles you had to overcome?
I was born in Herat-Afghanistan and am the oldest sibling. I grew up as a child of an immigrant family in Iran, after my family left the country during the invasion of Soviet Union. The Taliban regime started right after my family returned to Afghanistan, and I would say most of my childhood memories are full of Taliban regime darkness.
Like many of my generation, I was forced to drop out of school under the oppressive Taliban regime, spending six years at home, watching as Afghan women were denied rights to education, health and dignity. However, my passion for education could not be dampened, and when the Taliban were overthrown, I went back to school - eventually graduating with a BA degree in Law and Political Science from Herat University. Since then, I’ve worked to provide other Afghan women and young girls with the same opportunities.
In 2010, at the age of 26, I ran for and was elected to the Afghanistan Parliament, becoming one of the youngest elected members in the nation’s history - to the institution that I believe has the capacity to ignite the nation-state-building process in Afghanistan.
As for obstacles, I think it is far more common that you have to overcome many obstacles and suffer some pain before achieving any meaningful target in your life. And the bigger your dreams, the tougher your challenge, the more ambitious your goals, the more likely it is that you will face difficulties on your way towards it.
Undoubtedly, the road in front of me to become a Member of Parliament in Afghanistan was bumpy. I want to be clear that it wasn’t an all-pleasant experience. Being a young female politician requires unattractive sacrifices in the society and family. While others sleep, you work, and while others enjoy their life, you plan and work. And one day you see that bumps become part of your every thought. Some of those bumps in my life can be security threats, ignorance due to being young, working as a woman in a male dominated institution…
I think we all have bumps in the road of our life. And I think we should. Whether they are, small or large, they’re all for our growth and betterment. If we’re not a little uncomfortable, we’re simply not pushing ourselves hard enough.
You’ve often said that your husband is you biggest advocate. Given that, what role do you think men have in supporting women’s leadership?
Yes, my husband has been one of my strongest supporters in my mission to secure rights for Afghanistan’s women, helping me with everything from fundraising, to campaign management, and then working as an MP; I think his role in my success is significant.
I think there has been lots of silence in men about the role and capability of that women have and their power to bring change and stability in the society. We need men like my husband to support their wives boldly, to break up that silence and taboos, and to speak up for the betterment of their life partners, sisters or mothers.
I want to quote Honorable Ban Ki-Moon who said, “Violence against Women and Girls will not be eradicated until all of us - men and boys - refuse to tolerate it”. This is how we can bring change in the society.
How has social media changed the election politics of Afghanistan, and do you see it as a positive method of change within the country, especially as many extremist organizations also use the platforms for recruitment?
Technology and social media invented a new generation of thinkers in every society. In a country like Afghanistan, which practices a young democracy, social media is a floor to speak, express ideas, access information, advocate, and campaign. It is a phenomenal development throughout the history of my country that women, men, youth, and minorities speak so freely and confidently. It’s all because of the gift of social media.
Using social media for extremism recruitment remain a threat to the national security of the country and should be countered case by case, but nothing should stop citizens from using social media and expressing their idea there freely.
What do you think about Obama’s reversal of the U.S. pull-out in Afghanistan, and do you believe the country needs more support from the West, especially in the wake of the sudden capture of Kunduz by the Taliban?
On the night of the fall of Kunduz, I was kept awake, remembering the night my city fell under Taliban control in the summer of 1995, remembering those girls who were imprisoned for an unknown period of time, and remembering how surprisingly the men in my city kept quiet and accepted six years of a black regime ruling our city. I asked myself: in the last 14 years of a new era in Afghanistan, could we raise a generation of brave girls and boys to stand up for their rights? Do we have enough brave girls in Kunduz, who can fight against extremists attack the same way as Kubani girls did against ISIS in Iraq?
This is the question that our allies must ask from themselves too. As long as the Afghanistan people are not capable enough to defend their values, principles, rights, sovereignty, borders, and cities our allies should keep supporting Afghanistan.
In a country that long prohibited women from studying and going to school, the first gender studies program to be offered in an Afghan university is a potent sign of change. What more needs to be done to further women’s education and rights in Afghanistan?
A phrase I love a lot is “We can’t eliminate violence against women by taking the gun out of our son’s hand, but we must take the violence out of our son’s head.” We must train our daughters to be brave enough to speak up, but we must also educate our sons to support their sisters. Altering the culture of violence and subtracting violence from our children’s behavior is a must do. So far, we spent so much money on women’s leadership and gender equality programs, but this is half of the job. Now that our daughters lead, our sons must help them. This is how development and stability comes to a society and until then, we will experience instability and chaos in every aspect of life all over the country.
What do you think needs to change in regards to how both Afghanistan interacts with the United Nations and how the United Nations interacts with Afghanistan?
The UN is the best watchdog to keep Afghanistan accountable to its commitments towards the international community in order to stop violence against women, bring peace and security, fight against corruption, and allocate budgets and efforts for women’s betterment. Afghanistan is now far behind its commitments for the Millennium Development Goals, - this is the government that failed to hold a transparent, free, and fair election that the people deserved in 2014, and now the people think their voting right and democracy are disregarded. Afghanistan’s government responsiveness is short in regards to protecting human rights, and I think the UN is the most unbiased platform to raise those issues and to ask the Afghan government about its strategy towards those challenges.
Additionally, I think voices have been heard at the UN from Afghanistan through the government channel, and obviously its filter. We need to hear more unbiased voices from within the community and civil society of Afghanistan at the UN. I hope one day it becomes possible.
The UN also can review Afghanistan’s war evidence and based on this evidence, recognize those countries that instigate troubles in Afghanistan - those countries that feed extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan and those states that sponsor a proxy war in Afghanistan. The UN is the best organization to recognize those state-sponsored extremism groups and to punish those governments for making Afghanistan conflict part of their foreign affairs interest. It’s the result of those governments’ policy that now Afghans are the largest group of refugees after Syrians.
What role does Pakistani-Afghan bilateral relations have in defeating the Taliban, and how can some of the hostility be bridged between the two nations?
The fact is that the two nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan have the same destiny. They are live next door and they can’t ignore their dependence to each other. Horace says, “It is your business when the wall next door catches fire.” Though many drive Afghan-Pakistani relations towards pessimism, I believe there are many sources of optimism that we can take opportunity from. As far as my government is concern, it is committed to our brotherly relations with Pakistan, but always alerts of the challenges that may strain our efforts at building trust and confidence.
I always tell my Pakistani counterparts, “Let’s jump to navigate over solutions.” Let’s get rid of the fifth-column of extremism and fundamentalism inside of our governments. I ask my Pakistani friends to ask their government to accept Afghanistan as a sovereign country that follows its national interest, and ask their government to get rid of Pakistan’s so-called proxy war in Afghanistan.
There is a Pakistan-phobia all around Afghanistan. A blame game goes on and on here. I think this hostility must end as soon as possible and we have no solution except building trust between two countries, and talking. Only then we can speak about Pakistan’s consistency in order to bring Taliban to negotiation.
What final message about the future of Afghanistan do you want to leave for our readers?
First, I would like to call upon the donating nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in their projects for Afghanistan.
My message to my sisters is to be brave, to embrace the strength within themselves and to realize their full potential.
My message to my brothers is that we cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.
My message to my fellow citizens is that “Let’s start a movement, a movement that consists of women who don’t hesitate to speak up for their rights and dignity, and men who aren’t afraid to stop violence against women.”
Photo by wdn.org
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
