By JASON CUMMING, The Scotsman
FOWZIA Oleumi has no doubt that one day she will become the latest victim of Afghanistan's brutal struggle for gender equality.

As the director of the Women's Centre in the southern city of Lashkar Gah, Ms Oleumi, pictured below, carries an ever-lengthening list of mobile phone numbers from which she has received threats.

Her driver was shot dead by assassins on motorcycles moments after dropping Ms Oleumi at her office.

That attack forced the group's second site to be shut for safety reasons, despite its location near the HQ of Britain's taskforce.

But she remains determined to eliminate oppression imposed by the Taleban - which is still enforced violently by supporters of the toppled regime.

A teacher by profession, Ms Oleumi defied the hardliners by secretly tutoring children under their reign.

She said: "Teachers still have problems because a society can be created by them. They get threats from the Taleban to leave their jobs.

"The director of the Kandahar Women's Centre was murdered, and I'm sure they will do the same to me," Ms Oleumi said.

Under the Taleban, women were stripped of almost all of their rights and the education of all females was outlawed.

Even the presence of 700 British troops in Lashkar Gah was unable to prevent the murder of a schoolmaster by Taleban sympathisers 5km outside the city.

The Taleban also torched at least 110 schools last year - killing scores of teachers for what they see as un-Islamic education.

About 100 women brave the dash past the centre's perimeter wall each day to be taught English and computer skills.

Ms Oleumi said: "Most of the women in this society want to be educated."

Although the Taleban retain significant support, Ms Oleumi said the fact that the Women's Centre exists is a milestone.


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