Women, War & Peace: Afghan Women. Another Perspective.
I'm so pleased to be able to share these extraordinary photos by Leslie Knott, a photojournalist stationed in Afghanistan and Field Producer of Peace Unveiled. Leslie Knott has worked as a filmmaker and photographer for the past 12 years. She has spent the past seven years focusing on stories from Afghanistan. Her film credits include: Out of the Ashes (BBC Storyville, 2011), The Life and Loss of Karen Woo (ITV, 2011), Peace Unveiled (PBS, 2011).
She also makes films for NGO's and charities including UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, Afghan Connection, Razia's Ray of Hope and the AYCSO.
An award winning photographer, her photos have been published in the Sunday Times, The Sun, The National, The South China Morning Post, The Observer and numerous other magazines and newspapers. Her photos can also be found in an exhibition traveling Europe titled "Voices on the Rise: Afghan Women in the Media." Leslie is currently filming an ABC Diane Sawyer special on the Miracle of Birth.
Peace Unveiled is the third episode in the five part PBS series, Women, War & Peace, and airs tonight, Tuesday, October 25th. Check local listings. Thank you!
***
It was in October 2007 that I met this stunning young girl in a refugee camp in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. She lived in a camp with her Mom and sisters and Father. Having recently returned from Pakistan, the parents were making ends meet through shelling pinecones for pine nuts.
Deep in the mountains of Badakshan one can find the most spectacular scenery, and the most photogenic people. Recently while working on the 10x10 project profiling young girls and education, we came across a family who was living on the edge of a cliff with absolutely nothing and no one around except mountains. Sensing that winter was most likely unbearable, we emptied our suitcases of socks and sweaters to keep them warmer during the harsh season. The family of four children were ecstatic with the new white socks and put them all on at the same time.
The elderly matriarch of the family carries the youngest child up the stairs on her back. With so many responsibilities falling on the shoulders of the women in the family, every extra pair of hands helps. The day starts at 4 am to milk the cow, boil the water and start baking the bread that they cook in their backyard tandoors. For special occasions the women slave over an open fire stirring a mixture of walnuts milk and salt, which they serve with a crepe stuffed with homemade feta cheese and is then drowned in butter.
Headmaster at school: The headmaster from the Setara Girls school in Maimana, Afghanistan, sits over tea in her house. Married to her cousin who is also the local billboard designer she leads an extremely happy life.
Deep within the Bamyan countryside is the Panjab District. Cut off during most of the winter months, access to healthcare and education is limited. Arush and her daughters trekked for 2 hours to visit the mobile clinic the day I met them seeking medical advice from a doctor who had set up a mobile clinic. 
Rona and Hassan: Rona Sherzai was not only the Radio Station manager in Radio Quyaash in Maimana, she was also the Mother to four children, all born within four years of each other. If juggling four kids wasn't enough, three of Rona's four children suffer from cerebral palsy and can't walk. Standing tall at 5 ft, Rona is a force to be reckoned with. Her husband once said, 
Fatima sits waiting for her baby to fall asleep in the cradle behind her. At 13 years old she is a mother of two and expects to have at least four more children. When asked about the rates of children who die in their pistachio treed village she says, 
Rona Sherzai interviews the head of the Agricultural Department in Maimana for her radio program.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of MomsRising.org.
MomsRising.org strongly encourages our readers to post comments in response to blog posts. We value diversity of opinions and perspectives. Our goals for this space are to be educational, thought-provoking, and respectful. So we actively moderate comments and we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that undermine these goals. Thanks!