CPAU – the Cooperation for Peace and Unity – is actively working for the promotion of peace, social justice and human rights and sponsors viable alternatives to war and violence. The “Fight for Peace” initiative is aimed at promoting the rights of women through sport – in particular boxing. Twenty-five girls between the ages of 14 and 25 are currently being trained how to box.
During the Taliban era, women had almost no rights and as a result, were subject to unimaginable violence. In a future Afghanistan women will be equal partners in a strong and inclusive civil society. To help them on their journey, CPAU has chosen the sport of boxing to enable these women to send a powerful message: “We are Free, we are Strong, we are Fighting for Freedom – and we choose sport to take this stance in a peaceful way.”
Traditionally, boxing is seen as a violent, conflict-oriented sport. The CPAU initiative is aimed not at promoting aggression but in helping these women employ boxing as a means of making them feel empowered and confident. It is also a sport that very strongly tears down the stereotype of the submissive Afghan woman hiding in her blue burqa. It is a tough sport that requires physical and mental tenacity and the ring becomes a metaphor for the challenges faced by the women in their daily lives.
CLICK HERE to see more photos
Afghanistan today is still a challenging place to be a woman. There are many extremists who are actively – and violently – engaged in undermining female education and empowerment. The women who take part in the Fighting for Peace program are determined not to be intimidated and their determination and commitment deserve the highest praise.
A future Afghanistan will benefit from their courage, and from the conflict resolution techniques they are being taught as participants in CPAU’s Fighting for Peaceprogram.
Boxing is making a comeback in Afghanistan after it was banned by the Taliban regime from both the public and professional sports arenas. For the first time in the history of Afghanistan, the country also now has an Afghan Amateur Women Boxing Association (AAWBA), financed and established by CPAU in 2007, under the auspices of the Afghan Olympic Federation.
If female boxing is granted Olympic status in 2012 – and all indications are that this is likely – the girls hope to be able to compete.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Loading... 
I’ve been involved with CPAU, trying to help them get funded, ever since I stumbled — quite by chance — across a BBC article about these ladies and the Fighting for Peace program.
Afghanistan is a terrifically difficult place to be a woman. Those of us who are fortunate to live in the West can hardly imagine the kind of challenges Afghani women face. 57% of Afghan brides are under the age of 16. 87% of women are illiterate. 1 in 9 die in childbirth. Pulling on boxing gloves may seem an unconventional route to empowerment but it is not only a highly symbolic gesture that packs a big punch, it also provides great joy to these women who still lead very restricted lives. I am a kickboxer myself and I know how energised and liberated I feel when I am in the dojo. I can only imagine how much more so it must be for these ladies who live in a community where women are still subjected to male dominance to a staggering degree.
This is a program worth supporting and I thank you for your interest in our sisters in that part of the world!
Natasha Mostert, author of Keeper of Light and Dust.