The first Afghan radio station for women, “The Voice of Afghan Women,” began broadcasting in Kabul to commemorate International Women’s Day. According to the Associated Press, Jamila Muhahed, the director of the radio station, said “the programs will focus on women — the problems they face and how they can find solutions for them.” The radio station is sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and the French group AINA.
International Women’s Day was celebrated throughout the world, with events ranging from protests to educational gatherings. In Zimbabwe, at the same time President Robert Mugabe lowered customs duties on tampons and sanitary napkins to mark International Women’s Day, women protesting the government’s violations of women’s rights were beaten and arrested, according to This Day. In Ahmedabad, India, more than 200 women gathered carrying posters with messages such as “Peace for Empowerment, Empowerment for Peace,” according to Ahmedabad News. Women protested the crime of acid attacks against women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Muslim women gathered at the Islamic Center of Long Island in New York to talk about what it means to be a Muslim woman in the United States after September 11. They hoped that their talks would rid of the stereotypes that are often made about Muslim women, according to Newsday.
