Highlighting Mahnaz Akbari for Women’s Month

1.) How has working at I-ARC inspired you to think more deeply about women’s rights?

Women rights, and most importantly human rights, have always been important to me. In Afghanistan, we fight for women’s rights, but it is not always guaranteed. It depends on who is in charge at the time. However, in the US, legal rights are guaranteed, so working with I-ARC lets me turn my passion of making sure women have opportunities and rights into my work so I can best advocate for others.

2.) What does women’s history month mean to you?

International Women’s Day is for celebrating the cultural, political, social, and economic achievements of women. For many, this day is a reminder of the rise and importance of gender equality, as well as the end of violence and abuse against women. However, this year, for Afghan women, it was a reminder of the gender discrimination they have faced for centuries and are now facing again with the re-entry of the Taliban.
So my question is why do we have a day as a Woman’s day? Answering these questions reminds one of centuries of disregard for the fundamental rights of women and the oppression they have been subject to. What if women could have studied ,worked, invented, fought, and gone to space with men beyond just this last century? If women have only been legally supported for the past 100 years and are able to travel to space and save the world, imagine how it would be if we supported women and treated everyone with human rights since the beginning of time.

Unfortunately, women’s day reminds me of centuries of oppression against women. Women’s day reminds me of the marriage of ten years old girls that still occurs in my country. Women’s day reminds me of all the pain currently and historically of women in my country. But at the same time it also reminds me of women who have not been afraid to fight for centuries even in all their suffering and discrimination. I am proud to be a woman and to now work at I-ARC, where I can teach and provide women with access to legal rights, as well as work with so many strong women who continue to fight for human rights because they truly care about helping others.

3.) What are some advantages or disadvantages of being a woman in your particular field?

As an Afghan Resettlement Project Manager, there are no disadvantages, but I believe there are many advantages because women have certain characteristics in connecting with others that are less common in men. Some examples are the ability to pay attention and empathize with others, the ability to see and focus on all of the details, and an ability to ask uncomfortable questions with care and have effective communication with others. My job has me interact with a huge influx of immigrants who have left their homes and their families. This population faces difficult situations, and I think the women characteristics I mentioned are so important to relate more effectively to them.

4.) What is a project you’ve worked on or overseen at I-ARC that reflects the organization’s emphasis on highlighting women?

I am working on Afghan Needs Assessment project right now that lets me use my understanding as an Afghan women to relate to recent Afghan refugees. Starting a new life in a new country with a very different culture has many difficulties, and even more so for Afghan women who have grown up in a culturally repressive country where many could not work, study, or leave the house. Another project I’ve worked on is to translate legal lessons, and one thing I learned is that because of living in a repressive country, women have a special category of protection. Being able to teach Afghan women about this will help them gain legal rights in the US.