Afghan Women Seek Development That Includes Men

It may well be an unlikely clamor coming from a long-repressed sector in Afghanistan.

But while still struggling to improve their lot, the women of Afghanistan are urging development efforts to be more inclusive: that is, to include their husbands, brothers, fathers and sons.

“Women are put at greater risk of violence when they must return home to frustrated, unemployed husbands who don’t understand why their wives are getting training and credit and they are not,” says Ritu Sharma, president of Women Thrive Worldwide, in a blog post on CNN.

“Gender is about looking at the different roles … that men and women have in their families … and then designing projects that meet everyone’s  needs,” she added.