Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future

'This magnificent book allows us to peer behind the veil to behold the world of beauty, pride, and meaning of ancient Afghan embroidery. Through stories of hope and challenge, we are able to walk with these remarkable Afghan women as they rebuild their lives. A triumph!' Peggy Clark, Director, Alliance for Artisan Enterprise 'Rangina Hamidi has enabled the women of war-torn Kandahar to bring their exquisite embroidery to the world. Now in this beautiful book, she takes us on a journey into her own life and the lives of the talented and courageous Afghan women she serves through Kandahar Treasure. This is an extraordinary story of resilient and remarkable people - a story that informs and inspires.' Melanie Verveer, former U.S. Ambassador for Global Women's Issues and Director of The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security From the harsh and hidden lives of woman in Afghanistan emerges a story of creativity, courage, and reclaiming a future through ancient cultural traditions. Fifteen years ago, Rangina Hamidi made the decision to dedicate her life to helping rebuild her native Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Taliban had been driven out but Kandahar was a shambles. Tens of thousands of women, widowed by years of conflict, struggled to support themselves and their families. Rangina started an entrepreneurial enterprise— Kandahar Treasure—using the exquisite traditional khamak embroidery of Kandahar to help women work within their cultural boundaries, to earn their living, and to find a degree of self-determination. Embroidering Within Boundaries chronicles the development of this remarkable and inspiring business run solely by Afghan women. Throughout the narrative, intimate and moving profiles of Kandahar Treasure artisans illustrate how they have gained confidence, education, and the will to lead their families into a more stable and prosperous future.

About the Author :
Rangina Hamidi emigrated with her family from Soviet-controlled Afghanistan to the United States as a young girl. As founder and president of Kandahar Treasure, Rangina is one of the leading voices for Afghan women. She has served as the manager of the women’s Income Generation Project for Afghans for Civil Society and has been selected for prominent professional and academic training programs. Mary Littrell is Professor and Department Head Emerita of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. For the past 25 years, Mary’s research has focused on how textile artisan enterprises achieve sustainability in the global market. Mary is a Research Associate at the Museum of International Folk Art and serves as Chair of the Artist Selection Committee for the International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe.

Review :
"These rich and complex accounts of actual women underscore the intricacy of life in Afghanistan. This honest, close up view of the daily workings of a women-led Afghan business shows the intersection of the intimate with the geopolitical." -- Dr. Rachel Lehr, Fulbright Scholar and Research Associate, University of Colorado; author, The Carpetbaggers of Kabul and Other American-Afghan Entanglements "The authors have collaborated in deftly crafting a fascinating, impressively informative, compelling study that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Women's Studies collection in general, and Contemporary Afghanistan Cultural collections in particular." -- Margaret Lane, Midwest Book Review "Embroidering within Boundaries is a gorgeous visual, but also touching testimony of how traditional textile craft and the women behind the needle and thread can forge a new path for themselves in a region so wrought with conflict and hardship." -- Rebeca Schiller, Editor, Hand/Eye Magazine