First female Afghan orchestra to play at Davos

IN the face of death threats and accusations they are dishonouring their families by daring to perform, the women of Afghanistan’s first all-female orchestra are charting a new destiny for themselves through music.

The group is set to be catapulted onto the world stage with a performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Zohra, an ensemble of 35 musicians aged 13 to 20, some orphans or from poor families, will perform before 3 000 chief executives and heads of state during a session today and at the closing concert tomorrow.

Led by Negina Khpalwak, who will be celebrating her 20th birthday on the return flight from Europe, the girls have overcome death threats and discrimination in this deeply conservative war-torn country to play together.

With their hair hastily knotted, eyes focused on their instruments, the musicians performed in unison under Khpalwak’s baton earlier this month at one of their last rehearsals in Kabul before the concert.

Khpalwak’s goal is to win a scholarship “to study outside of the country, and study, and study”.

Then, she says, she will return to her country and become the conductor of the National Orchestra.

Fifteen years after the end of the Taliban regime, gender parity remains a distant dream in Afghanistan despite claims of progress.

According to a survey conducted last year, just 19% of all Afghan women had attended school.

Of women and girls under the age of 25, only 36% said they had been to school.