Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs
NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s female engagement team attended a shura on International Women’s Day, in the Nengarach village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, March 8.
Nooristani, an engineer from the Do Ab District and one of Nuristan’s most successful women, planned the shura to celebrate women’s rights and equality in the light of Islam. The shura provided an opportunity to build unity among women, Nuristan’s tribes, the Afghan government officials, and Coalition Forces.
The shura was also an opportunity to speak to others about the civic duty people have to protect those who deliver aid and implement development projects in Nuristan province.
Many women and young girls, the village Maliks, Afghan government officials, and the Nuristan female engagement team attended the shura.
“There is nothing better than women in the world,” a representative of the Nurgarm District said. “We should always respect our women.”
The female engagement team leader, Leah Kaplan, of Denver, Colo., the U.S. Agency for International Development representative for the Nuristan PRT, was asked to speak on behalf of the PRT, on her thoughts about International Women’s Day.
“It was great to see government officials, village elders, women and girls coming together to speak about and celebrate this important day,” Kaplan said. “Liza Nooristani is a role model for women, not just in Nuristan, but in all of Afghanistan, and we are so grateful that she took it on her own initiative to plan this event and was kind enough to invite us to participate.”
Nooristani ended the event with a powerful, moving message to all the young girls and women in the room.
“Women can do anything that they put their mind to,” Nooristani said. “You can swim the deepest ocean, climb the highest peak, be a doctor, fly a plane, and face adversity, and still walk tall. Women are strong, beautiful, compassionate and much more. This is your day, as is every day you live.”
NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Local Afghans and Coalition Forces sit side by side at a shura held in honor of International Women’s Day in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, March 8. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)
NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Liza Nooristani, an engineer from the Do Ab District, speaks to a reporter during a shura celebrating International Women’s Day, in the Nengarach village of eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, March 8. The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s female engagement team attended the shura held by Nooristani to celebrate women’s rights and equality in the light of Islam. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)
