Event Details:
- Start Date: June 14, 2025
- End Date: August 30, 2025
- Participants: 20 women from Canada and Afghanistan
- Duration: 8 weeks (4 weeks of training + 4 weeks of writing and recitation)
Hoviat organized a special educational program titled “Write Your Voice.” The program began with 20 women from Canada and Afghanistan and continued for 8 weeks.
During the first four weeks, participants attended weekly two-hour sessions on storytelling techniques and writing life stories. In the following four weeks, participants wrote their own stories, recited them in class, and received guidance and corrections from the instructor. The final two weeks were dedicated to submitting stories for publication, with participant consent.
At the conclusion of the program, 10 selected stories (with authors’ approval) were entrusted to Hoviat – Women’s Identity to be used in advocacy activities and shared through Hoviat’s official platforms.
Participant Experiences:
Participants found the course highly valuable and impactful. Some reflections include:
- A participant with the pseudonym “A” said: “While writing my life story, I cried. I released years of hidden pain and felt a sense of relief and lightness.”
- Another participant from Kabul, “B,” said: “Writing my story helped me set goals for my life. I never thought writing could be so useful, but now I have decided to turn my life story into a book.”
Conclusion:
The “Write Your Voice” program provided Afghan women with a valuable opportunity to express their personal narratives, have their silenced voices heard, and transform their experiences into tools for advocacy and social change. Hoviat – Women’s Identity remains committed to such programs to strengthen women’s empowerment and preserve the collective memory of the community. This volunteer-led course was facilitated by Zainab Farahi, the training coordinator from Afghanistan.