History

Part I:

During the time of Amanullah Shah, women’s organizations were formed with the aim of progress, promotion and saving women from deprivation, and in pursuit of women’s rights and freedom, especially in the field of education, the right to education, the right to work and its benefits, the right to individual freedom, individual immunity, and freedom of speech. and gatherings, political and civic activities and study trips abroad. During the Amani period, “The Women’s Support Association“ was established in Kabul, which mostly worked in the direction of teaching literacy, sewing and weaving, and household affairs.

During Zahir Shah’s reign in 1943, the Women’s Union, which had twenty women as members, established the “Higher Women’s Institute” in Kabul with the aim of training, educating and enlightening Afghan women. With the suggestion and follow-up of Bibi Zainab, Amanullah’s sister, a piece of land was allocated to this institution and a kindergarten, school, cinema and offices were built there. Vocational and literacy training was provided to adult women in this center. In 1965, the name of this institution was changed to ” Da Mirmano Tolana” (A Pashtu translate of “women society”) and it came under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. From this point on, its purpose was focused on more important matters. At the beginning of the 1970s, Naswan Institute named June 14 as Mother’s Day, which is still celebrated as National Mother’s Day. Later, “Saleha Farooq Etimadi” came to manage it, and she paid special attention to the professional high school “Da mermano Tolana” and provided the opportunity for girls to study abroad.

In November 1965, the Afghan Women’s Democratic Organization was founded in Kabul by Dr. Anahita Ratebzad, Soraya Perlika, Kobra Ali, Hamida Shirzai, Momena Basir and Jamila Keshtmand. Among the activities of this group, it is possible to mention holding demonstrations for women’s rights. For the first time in Afghanistan, women participated in the “October 25” demonstration organized by communist groups. In 1968, some conservative members of parliament wanted to pass a law to prohibit girls from studying abroad, but with the organization of women’s organizations, hundreds of girls protested against this proposal and considered it contrary to the constitution and the equal rights of men and women. Finally, the parliament abandoned this proposal. In 1970, radical members of “Muslim Youth” protested against the wearing of short dresses and uniforms in schools and universities. The women’s organization organized thousands of women and girls in Kabul city for massive demonstrations against the perpetrators of these extremisms, as a result of which the government arrested and imprisoned a number of the perpetrators.