Afghan Women Rise ‘Out of Silence’ for International Women’s Day

Posted March 10, 2010

The Mot theatre at the Museum of Tolerance served as the backdrop for a one-night-only event of selected dramatic readings of poems and essays penned by Afghan women in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8.

The evening, “Out of Silence: Readings from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project,” featured nine actresses reading the works, including Summer Bishil (“Towelhead”), Nadia Bjorlin (“Day of Our Lives”), Conchata Ferrell (“Two and a Half Men”), Jodi Long (“All American Girl”), Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”), Teal Sherer (“Proof”), Bahar Soomekh (“Crash”), Nancy Travers (“The Bill Engvall Show”) and Marcia Wallace (“The Simpsons”).

The event was presented by the Women’s Committees for AFTRA, SAG and the WGA West, along with the Producer’s Guild of America and Women in Film. The Museum of Tolerance and Steak Haus Productions sponsored the event, which was directed by Frederick Ponzlov, the artistic director for the Long Beach Repertory Theatre.

“This project is intended to empower, and give voice to Afghan women and create a platform for their stories to be shared with the world,” Masha Hamilton, founder of the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, said of the event.

All of the readings were penned by women and teen-aged girls living in Afghanistan and focused on issues such as child marriage, wearing the burqa, being in love, the Taliban regime’s attack against women and the close bonds between parents and children.

“The AFTRA National Women’s Committee is proud to co-sponsor this historic evening in an effort to bring to life the words and emotions of courageous and extremely talented Afghan women,” said Patrika Darbo, Co-Chair, AFTRA National Women’s Committee. 

Marcia Wallace, Bahar Soomekh, Teal Sherer and Summer Bishil perform a reading as Nichelle Nichols (background) listens. Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Hamilton started the Afghan Women’s Writing Project in 2009 in response to the plight of Afghan women and the repressive conditions that silence their voices and their stories.

AWWP now has more than 50 women journalists, novelists, poets, and screenwriters across the United States mentoring and teaching Afghan women writers through secure, Internet-based classrooms on four week rotation classes through three online classrooms.

The AWWP’s mission is to help give voice to the voiceless and raise awareness about this important cause affecting women, and women artists, everywhere. For more information, go to www.awwproject.org.

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