Brave Women in Afghanistan

#1: This is a portrait of Malala Kakar. She was one of Afghanistan's first police officers and an advocate against crimes against women. She served in the force after the Taliban were thrown out of power. But, they found her and killed her. There are many women in the police forces here who tell me they are in constant fear for their lives and the lives of their families because of the work they do... they keep doing it.

#2: A group of women recently graduated from the Afghan National Police Academy. Note many of them look oriental. They are probably from the Hazara tribe, decendents of the Mongolians who invaded Afghanistan thousands of years ago. If you ever happen to read THE KITE RUNNER (I'm reading it now), it talks about the extreme prejudice against the Hazaras. Further, they tend to be Shi'a in a primarily Sunni country. Asa is Hazara which is why her family fled to Iran when the Taliban took power in Kabul.

#3: These are two women speakers at a large conference I recently attended in downtown Kabul. The one on the left is a member of the Afghan Parliament, who rambled well beyond her designated time without really getting to any definitive point. She did not progress the cause of women before a most august audience, I would have to say the opposite. She did however wear a beautiful coat with matching scarf. The woman on the right is Shafika, she heads the Human Rights and Gender Affairs Department within the Ministry of Interior (Police). While not nearly as well coiffed, she represented Afghan women well. Also speaking was a woman who leads a most successful and forthright non-profit organization that advocates women's rights here. My international colleagues speculate her effectiveness will probably result in assassination. I was awed by her words and saddened by theirs.

#4: This is our woman's international coalition "gang:. To the left is Marleen a police officer from the Netherlands temporarily assigned to the European Union Police. She is quite the colorful character; however, if there's ever a battle I want her near me. To my right is Apolonia. She is is a retired police officer from the Netherlands working Gender Affairs, Family Violence, and Juvenile Crimes. She has served as an investigator for the International Criminal Court in Bosnia and Africa in the past... a most admirable woman from whom I learn a lot. We're also friends. I'm the one in the middle. I'd like you to consider us brave too; however, not compared to our Afghan colleagues.