13 program such as by arguing against them from a Sharia standpoint or even, in certain instances, walking away from the shows in protest. 3. Field Activities The Women in the Eyes of Men project was implemented in the capital, Kabul, and the country’s four regional centers: Bamyan, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Nangarhar. The project locations aimed to reflect regional, ethnic and cultural diversity and thereby offer a nuanced image of how Afghan men perceive women, view their roles, and the problems they think women encounter in each specific geo-cultural setting. As the project progressed, regional variations required a corresponding degree of alteration and modification in the way the project was implemented. As was foreseen, engagement with men at the grassroots level on the issue of women’s problems proved problematic from the very outset. The male participants appeared uncomfortable and reluctant to discuss objectively the situation of women in their neighbourhoods and communities. The participants relied more on general statements on the status of women, often transmitted to them through mosques and madrasas, than on sharing their observation of what they see in their day-to-day life. Instead of breaking new ground, such discussion was consolidating the established clichés. The theatrical performances in which the actors focused on a specific set of women’s problems within the context of male-dominated institutions and structures was instrumental in creating a frank environment for discussion. The participants were not willing to talk about the problems women face inside a family but they were quite open to discuss the problem a fictitious theatrical performer – playing the role of a father or brother who refused to allow his wife/sister to go to work or school – highlighted in live shows. Legislative Theatre Workshop (LTW) was the first stage in the implementation of this project. It consisted of the introduction of the fundamental concept of the project (women in the eyes of Afghan men), the theatrical methodologies, networking and team building and performance practices. Workshops, each lasting six days, were held in each of the five regional centers to achieve the set of objectives. Cumulatively, ten TWs were held, two in each region: Bamyan, Herat, Kabul, Mazar, Nangarhar. Overall, 125 people participated in the TWs: 30 people in Bamyan, 24 in Mazar-e Sharif, 26 in Herat, 23 in Kabul and 22 in Nangarhar.2 2.  AHRDO, Theatre Workshop, Field Reports: Bamyan, Herat, Kabul, Mazar and Nangarhar, 2013.