Land of the Unconquerable The Lives of Contemporary Afghan Women [Hardcover]

Reaching beyond sensational headlines,Land of the Unconquerableat last offers a three-dimensional portrait of Afghan women. In a series of wide-ranging, deeply reflective essays, accomplished scholars, humanitarian workers, politicians, and journalistsmost with extended experience inside Afghanistanexamine the realities of life for women in both urban and rural settings. They address topics including food security, sex work, health, marriage, education, poetry, politics, prisoners, and community development. Eschewing stereotypes about the burqa, the contributors focus instead on womens empowerment and agency, and their struggles for peace and justice in the face of a brutal ongoing war. A fuller picture of Afghanistans women past and present emerges, leading to social policy suggestions and pragmatic solutions for a peaceful future.

Jennifer Heathis editor ofThe Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics(UC Press) and author or editor of numerous other books.Ashraf Zahediis a sociologist at the Beatrice Bain Research Group at the University of California, Berkeley.

Land of the Unconquerableis a timely collection of insightful articles and reflections. The first person accounts by long-time Afghan activists are especially moving. It is far too rare to hear Afghans, particularly Afghan women, speak in their own voices about their realities, and this volume addresses this lack with both courage and clarity. Kavita N. Ramdas, former President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women and current Visiting Scholar and Fellow at Stanford University

This is a valuable book addressing a question that needs to be understood if peace in Afghanistan is ever to be achieved. Haleh Afshar, co-author ofWomen in Later Life: Exploring Race and Ethnicity

This book urgently and importantly avoids politicizing womens issues for personal gain. Sima Wali, former President of Refulós