Feroza Mushtary,Acting President of the Afghan Midwives Association

"After we arrived at the hospital, the woman gave birth to a baby boy. I felt very proud; this was the moment that I decided that I wanted to help Afghan women"

The story of how I chose to become a midwife is complicated. My father was in Kandaharand we lived in Kabul without an adult male in our family. One day, when I was 13, a neighbour knocked. When we opened the door, we saw that she was with a woman who was screaming in pain.

The woman was in labour and needed to go to the hospital. This was during Taliban rule and women weren't allowed to go anywhere in public, even to the hospital, without a male escort. They wanted to know if a male from our household could accompany them.

When my mother told them there was no adult male in our house, the pregnant woman sat down on the ground hopelessly. I looked down at her feet and saw that they were covered in blood. I looked into her eyes and saw that they were pleading for help.
I decided that I would dress as a boy and accompany her to the hospital. At first my mother forbade me, but after we argued for fifteen minutes, she agreed to let me go. I sat in the front seat of the taxi, where males usually sit. After we arrived at the hospital, the woman gave birth to a baby boy. I felt very proud; this was the moment that I decided that I wanted to help Afghan women.

After the fall of the Taliban, I studied midwifery and graduated in 2004. Now that I am a midwife with the skills and knowledge required for my profession, I feel strong enough to advocate on behalf of others. My leadership skills give me the confidence to speak out in public and I do this through my position with the AMA.

The AMA has done a lot to aid the recognition of midwifery in Afghanistan. We have worked with the Ministry of Public Health to gain acknowledgment of our profession, and have worked hard to gain community acceptance.

We have worked with stakeholders to establish a regulatory body and council. We have drafted an act which is now awaiting approval from the Ministry of Justice. If it is passed, every practicing midwife will be required to register with the AMA and be properly licensed.