#WomanCrushWednesday: Sakena Yacoobi

Meet Sakena Yacoobi. Amid traditional Afghan village social structures, gender roles and religious beliefs, which often discourage the education of women, Sakena harnesses these very institutions to establish interactive education programs for girls and women. Her organization, the Afghan Institute for Learning (AIL), is the largest NGO in Afghanistan. Since it was founded in 1996, AIL has helped train 24,000 teachers, teach 345,000 children, and open 335 learning centers in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Why do we admire her?

She dreams of a free, educated Afghanistan where women can think critically and know how to care for their children, an important feat considering the country has the second-highest infant mortality rate in the world. She recognizes that ignorance and lack of education are overwhelming Afghanistan today, but is devoted to transforming the minds and hearts of people through education in the hope they will think for themselves and choose to be peaceful.

What can we learn from her?

1. To make real change, start with your community.

In Afghan society, there is a wide range of standards for acceptable female behavior, and men have different beliefs about how women should be treated. To help improve the status of women in Afghanistan through education, Sakena works with community leaders to plan, develop and implement all its projects, and requires that a community request their involvement and consent to the proposed project. This approach provides an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. This is especially vital when implementing new programs in conservative, isolated communities.

2. Play the long game.

Sakena doesn’t expect change to happen in Afghanistan overnight. Educating an entire society needs time, effort and support from the community.

3. Open minds make lasting change.

Sakeena sees a future in Afghanistan where “women and men work together as equals, where no one’s human rights are abused, where there is harmony and justice for all.” In order to achieve true equality, it is important that anyone who is educated — whether male or female — is not seen as a threat to Afghan culture, but as a person who can improve the whole community.