Sona Kamjo

I grew up in an austerely male dominated society. Women, who make up half of that society, are considered second-class citizens. Being a female raised in an Afghan society I am directly affected by gender discrimination. Having experienced gender discrimination first hand has allowed me to become a voice for the millions of women who have been victims of this social inequality. In Islam, the dominant religion in Afghanistan, men and women are considered equal before god. However, culturally, in Afghan society women are virtually invisible. Women are denied education and other basic human rights. In Afghan families there is not much importance given to educating a female. I am one such female facing the dilemma of wanting education in the face of breaking the barriers of cultural expectations. My family, not being a typical Afghan family, has always supported my dream to seek education. Today I take pride in being a female. Although I live in the United States; I cannot forget the women of my country. Women put to death for wanting to go to school or those who were facially maligned, their nose and ears cut off, for speaking up for themselves against the men in their homes. Today, I have a dream of absolute freedom for Afghan women. A dream of a society where no one woman will cry tears of injustice, where no woman will take her life by setting herself on fire and where every single woman will taste freedom. With my family’s support and the confidence instilled by my Western education; I aspire to remove the social injustices faced by the women of my culture and to free them from the invisible chains of tradition.