Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL)
Afghanistan
Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) is an organization that provides access to quality education and health services for Afghan women and children. Today, AIL serves over 350,000 women and children throughout Afghanistan each year. AIL works with local communities and displaced populations to provide a range of programs including literacy training for women, schooling for girls, teacher training, health education and health services, vocational training, and income generating activities. AIL promotes women’s empowerment and the full participation of women and girls in the post-conflict reconstruction of Afghan society. Women who participate in AIL’s education initiatives not only gain the skills necessary to provide health and educational services to members of their community, they are trained as advocates, organizing to transform the country’s health care and educational systems. AIL provides Afghan communities with the resources needed to lay the foundation for comprehensive education and health services, encouraging full community involvement to ensure that its impact on women and children can be sustained for years to come.
Afghan Women
The women of Afghanistan face numerous hardships and challenges. The country has been ravaged by a century of war and instability, destroying infrastructure and the economy, and causing high rates of poverty and a disregard for basic human rights. Deterioration of infrastructure and institutions makes it a near impossibility for a majority of the population to access education and health care. As a result, Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and is rife with medical and nutritional deficiencies. The long-standing instability and violence has also made it extremely difficult for groups outside of Afghanistan to access information about the population’s needs, and nearly impossible to administer aid. The legacy of the Taliban has only made the situation worse for the country’s women who were not allowed to go to school, work, or leave their home without a male chaperone. Despite the Taliban’s fall from power, gender discrimination and violence against women is still prevalent.
Afghan Embroidery
Embroidery work is a centuries-old Afghan tradition that has influenced embroidery and pattern across Asia. Patterns vary by region. Broadly, embroidery from northern Afghanistan is distinguished by intricate, geometric patterns while khamak embroidery found in southern Afghanistan is distinguished by looser geometric and floral design. Shishadur, commonly found in Afghan embroidery, involves stitching small mirrors into the fabric. These mirrors are intended to ward away evil spirits. Traditionally, embroidery has been used to embellish everything from décor, clothing and gifts, as proud expressions of a family’s ethnic heritage. The long-running instability and violence in Afghanistan, however, has affected more than people’s livelihoods. This artwork is also dying out as people struggle to meet daily needs. Income generation programs like AIL’s allow women to support themselves in the midst of turmoil and keep alive a tradition that has already had vast influence on art around the world.
