Over three decades of armed conflict in Afghanistan have left a sad legacy: mines and other explosive remnants of war contaminate the country. Since 1989, the Afghanistan Mine Action Program (MAPA) has worked to demine this dangerous material.
However, as the conflict continues, some 120 civilian mine-related casualties are recorded each month and the goal of declaring the country mine-free is unlikely.
After years of mine clearance that removed explosive devices from some 27 million square meters of contaminated land and although explosive remnants of war remain on some firing ranges, Bamyan has been declared mine-free since 2019. This makes it the first mine-free province in Afghanistan.
Fezeh Rezaye, 26, a mother of two, is part of a 19-woman female demining team who were awarded the Arms Control Person International Award in 2019.
She explains that a tragic incident led her to put aside her ambition to become a teacher to engage in the dangerous work of mine clearance.
ONU Afghanistan / Ahmad Ali Fakhri
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“I had known several people from my village who were injured or killed by mines in Bamyan. Even our owner lost his leg in a mine accident. But it was the death of seven children, all from the same family in our village, that really affected me. They were together in the mountains when they were all killed by a mine explosion. I thought about my own children, how this could have happened to them.
For the sake of my children
At the time, I was teaching literacy to rural women in the countryside of Bamyan. Neither my friends nor my family, including my children, agreed with my decision to become a deminer. I told them that, for my future and that of my children, I wanted Bamyan to be free from the mines, so that everyone could study and enjoy life.
Most families are still afraid of this job. Parents see this work as dangerous and risky. They don’t want to risk their daughter’s life. Some districts of Bamyan also have more severe cultural restrictions and they don’t like women working for money.
But, in general, Bamyan society is more open than other regions of the country: it is a poor province, with a high unemployment rate and demining is one of the few possibilities for women to earn money. silver.
MANUA/Eric Kanalstein
A woman walks through a field in Bamyan province, Afghanistan, which has been declared mine-free.
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An uncertain future
At the moment, we have work in Bamyan, because there are still explosive devices on some shooting ranges. I am worried about my job security because, once these devices are cleared, I may not be able to work in other provinces, many of which are dominated by the Taliban.
My ambition is to acquire more technical skills through specialized training in mine action, as well as to improve my language skills, especially my English. I would also like to get a masters degree in sociology or archeology. If women deminers were given clerical jobs in the mine action sector, it would enhance their job security.
Winning the gun control award made a big difference to me and to the team. After our victory, we were recognized by Afghan society and became idols for many women. We were the first female demining team in Afghanistan and we have proven that women can work as hard as men – that we are their equals.
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