A slightly different version of this post was originally posted on http://pomegranateveils.com/.

Two days ago, I resigned from my job in Kabul. It wasn’t the security concerns, the third world conditions, or the health risks associated; though each of these has been a reason for concern during the last year. I resigned for reasons associated with my job. I went to Afghanistan thinking that I could make a valuable contribution to the organization for which I worked and hopefully to the people of Afghanistan. Sadly this was not the case. I reached a point where I was no longer willing to be treated with profound disrespect and to tolerate such extreme inequities. Before anyone points fingers at the gender norms of Afghanistan, the main problems did not stem from Afghans.

For now, I am back in the US trying to regroup and find a position that will actually allow me to work for the greater good and using the skills and talents that I possess. I am not sure what will come next for it or for me. My experiences in the Kabul have made me even more committed to women’s rights and to working to end inequality. Whether that work will take place in the US or abroad remains to be seen. Who knows, I may even find myself in Afghanistan again.