Many women and girls in each community suffer from mental health issues due to high levels of violence and torture. – Ms. Jamila, GBV Survivor

Ms. Jamila is a resident of Mina Village, and is an active community activist. She shares her story as follows:

As a member of the SHG network, I have participated in numerous trainings regarding management, the wishes, and needs of GBV survivors, VAW, child protection and nutrition, maternal and psychological counseling, as well as sexual and reproductive health needs for women and girls. We have also discussed legal issues and the needs of GBV survivors in emergency settings.

After receiving this training, I now understand my responsibility to my community, especially towards my fellow women and girls. I have met many women and girls in the community and learned about their families, as well as the economic and cultural challenges they face. Women in the community have a better understanding of the context and are able to identify and address problems more effectively than those who are not from the same community or district.

Some of the women of our relatives came to our house, and one of the women among them told me that my mother-in-law always misbehaved with me. When she verbally violates me, I unconsciously beat my children, then I am sad for beating my children, and I am troubled with my life.

I initially accompanied this woman to a mental health clinic for counseling, and then I subtly highlighted the harmful effects of domestic violence to her mother-in-law.

Ms. Farida mentioned that she saw the woman at an engagement ceremony the next month, and she seemed happy. She said that the woman had shown a lot of improvement through ongoing medical consultations. She insisted that she shared the story in confidence and that no one should know about it; the woman’s condition was better than the first time when I met her.

I decided to talk to her mother-in-law several times indirectly about the consequences of family violence so that she doesn’t oppress her bride anymore.

Zarghona, a community activist, is pregnant. She shares her story and expresses concern about the lack of information available to pregnant women, which often leads to the loss of babies and maternal deaths. Before attending training sessions, she was unaware of the importance of timely clinic visits and having X-rays to monitor the baby’s health. After receiving advice and attending informational meetings, she began prioritizing regular check-ups at the clinic.

Access to health information and protection against violence is particularly valuable to her. She has adjusted her workload to avoid potential harm to her baby’s health and has organized her diet to ensure the well-being of both herself and her baby. Zarghona feels a moral and Islamic responsibility to share the knowledge she gained during her training with other women and girls in her community. However, the lack of female doctors in local clinics and financial constraints make it difficult for women to access private healthcare.

Zarghona expresses disappointment in the absence of comprehensive training programs that could empower women to protect themselves using local and family resources. She expresses gratitude to the Human Rights Watch and Media Organization for conducting informative meetings in her village, addressing issues related to violence, regional challenges, and maternal and child health.

Another member of the network shared her story. Ms. Shagofa, a resident who participated in several GBV and WAVC training, as well as healthcare, livelihood, maternal, and child health protection workshops. She talks about her activities:

Ms. Shagofa says that her aunt did not pay attention to the cleanliness of her house and children, so she was always sick, as were her children. She feels ashamed to advise her aunt, as it is considered rude to advise elders in her culture. However, after participating in many trainings, she learned a lot about women’s rights, violence against women and children, health, hygiene, and counseling others. This gave her the courage to advise others about practices that harm well-being and health.

Ms. Shagofa believes that there is no shame in advising her aunt because she wants to draw attention to what is wrong and harmful to her and her children’s health. Initially, her aunt was upset, but Ms. Shagofa continued to advise her regularly. Eventually, her aunt accepted the advice, leading to a significant change in their lives. Ms. Shagofa also provided advice to many teenage girls about menstrual hygiene, which they were not aware of.

Thanks to the training from Human Rights Watch and Media Organizations, Ms. Shagofa feels empowered to guide others in her community. She believes that women in the community need to have information about social practices in their lives and that such information training is essential for women and girls in each community.

Mrs. Khatira, a community SHG activist and resident of the district shared her story and highlighted that both men and women in their families lack awareness about social and health issues. She mentioned that there is a lack of information and people knowledgeable about the consequences of violence against women and children, as well as health and hygiene issues.

Many families and parents are uninformed about the consequences of important practices for themselves and their children. During a visit to another village, Mrs. Khatira encountered a family that had not vaccinated their children as they believed it was pointless. After explaining the benefits of vaccination and the risks of not doing it, she emphasized the importance of immunization for their children. Eventually, the family agreed to vaccinate their children at the clinic.

A few days later, Mrs. Khatira revisited the family to check if they had vaccinated their children. She found that the children had indeed been vaccinated at the clinic. The women of the household were grateful and thanked her for her assistance.

Mrs. Khatira expressed gratitude for the support of the organization, which enabled her to conduct informative meetings in the village. She emphasized that they are now able to provide guidance to women and the community on various issues that negatively impact women and girls, including violence, mental health, and child health problems.

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