Even better, she’ll be featured in locally produced segments focusing on things like girls’ empowerment, national identity, and physical health, sure to become a touchstone for Afghan girls all over the country!
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Sherrie Westin, Sesame Workshop’s executive vice president of global impact and philanthropy, told Reuters it was “so powerful that the first Afghan Muppet is a girl”.
Zari is being introduced to children in a country where girls have fewer educational opportunities than their male counterparts.
From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban made it illegal for girls to attend school in Afghanistan as part of a wide-spanning series of laws diminishing the role of girls and women in Afghan society.
Muppet Zari is joining the children’s show in Afghanistan and she’s bringing with her a message of empowerment.
Sesame Street’s Afghanistan coproduction is getting a new puppet, and she’s all about women’s rights.
Research has shown that previous seasons of the show have begun to open the minds of Afghan fathers about the value of educating their daughters, Westin said. The number of children in school grew from 900,000 in 2001 to 8.3 million in 2011, according to figures from the United Nations assistance mission to Afghanistan.
While television is largely restricted to urban areas, Sesame Garden is also broadcast on radio, stretching its reach to most of the country.
On Thursday night, a character named Zari debuted on “Baghch-e-Simsim”, the local coproduction of the beloved children’s education program.
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“Thank you, Elmo. I’m excited to be here”, Zari said.
