Well, here is a motivating story to help keep the drive going...
This September, Lana Slezic will see her first book published. Forsaken: Afghan Women A book presented with committed passion to the women of Afghanistan. For two years Lana lived in Kabul and documented the women she met.
...but more on the book in upcoming posts. This post is about what is happening on July 24.
In this issue, July/August, of Mother Jones, Lana's photographs are featured in the story, The Hidden Half. How Afghan women have fared since the Taliban's fall.
On July 24, Lana will be a speaker at the Mother Jones sponsored Congressional Briefing in Washington - The Hidden Half - Women in Afghanistan, a Story in Pictures.
"The morning discussion will feature the difficult yet honest photographs of Lana Slezic as a means of understanding the harsh and repressive reality that persists for most women in Afghanistan. Though the Taliban may be gone from the halls of power, its cultural legacy of oppression continues. The burka is more common than before, a majority of women experience domestic violence, and honor killings are on the rise. Some statistics consdiered in 'The Hidden Half' include:
- Afghanistan suffers the 2nd-highest maternal mortalitly rate in the world: 1 mother every 28 minutes
- Female students attend schools at half the rate of male students.
- An estimated 2 million women are widows and many must turn to prostituion to survive.
In addition to Lana Slezic, speakers at the event include Co-Editor of Mother Jones Clara Jeffrey, and award-winning journalist and CNN Terror Analyst Peter Bergen. They will provide commentary on the importance and power of photography, media and politics in addressing the plights of women in Afghanistan."
If you would like to learn more about the situation of women in Afghanistan - RAWA
