Nargis is new in Kabul. She originally is from Kandahar a region located in the west of Afghanistan. Already when Nargis still lived at home she was involved in women’s empowerment initiatives such as Alliance for International Women’s Rights (AIWR) and Pax Populi. Besides pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in the field of political science at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) she is passionate about working as a freelance journalist and has recently published articles in international press agencies such as huffington post.
Nargis already is a Philia in many ways – a bright, ambitious and curious woman, whom Philia is ultra happy to have on board!
Philia has recently started cooperating with AUAF (Read the article here). When Nicole met Nargis for the first time through a common friend they both instantly clicked. Having grown up on different continents did not mean a division of the heart. Once Nicole explained how Philia works and what Philia’s aims are Nargis sensed that this could be a great opportunity for her and her fellow classmates. They agreed to organise the Women’s Empowerment Workshops starting in July 2017.
In order to give you a glimpse of what the Women’s Empowerment Workshops are all about Nargis agreed to do some blogging for us. Within the next four weeks, you will see a new article by her describing her experience as well as her inner and outer progress to you.
But before that we want you to get to know Nargis a little more and have asked her a few questions.
Question: What does Women’s Empowerment mean to you?
Nargis: Women’s empowerment is a means to give women the confidence that they have the ability to make decisions and choices for themselves; to be independent!
Most important is education. Women have the right to be given an equal opportunity for education. Education gives women the opportunity to play a huge part in the development of society.
Women’s empowerment means in essence that women are not only made for working in the kitchen. They can strengthen society’s economy by working equally outside with men. We can handle life more than even men can!!
Question: Why do you think the students at AUAF will particularly benefit from the Philia Women’s Empowerment Workshops?
Nargis: Philia’s Sessions teach us that WOMEN should support other WOMEN by listening to one another and by supporting one another. Understanding the Philia Method will help us to develop and to speak up for ourselves! This program encourages us, students, at AUAF to forget about the world for a while and empower ourselves with love, peace, equality and friendship.
There are people out there who will try to bring you down, but we will learn how to fight them with positivity through Philia.
Question: When you think of struggles women experience globally what challenges do you think we need to overcome most urgently and why?
Nargis: The lack of access to education is one of the struggles women globally face. This should be resolved urgently. Education is a source of freedom for women. It is a means that guide women towards being economically independent and to not rely on men for their expenses for a lifetime. Also, it empowers women to say NO to any kind of violence they face. When a woman is educated she can marry later in life when she feels that she is ready to start a healthy family. Educated women are well aware of their rights! They can in return help other women by being their role-models or inspiration.
It is a widely known fact that investing in girls/women education means the growth of a nation. When women are supported and encouraged to get an education, they make sure that their children also receive an education.
Thank you for your views, Nargis!
If you are as excited as we are about the new add-on to the Philia Family and are interested in learning more about Philia yourself, then signup!
