Afghan Girls Share Their Despair and Visions for the Future Under Taliban Rule

“I went through a period of severe depression, but with the help of my family, I managed to regain my spirit and start reading some books again. And for the past six months, I’ve been teaching 12 neighbourhood children who, due to poverty or other reasons, couldn’t go to school. We hold daily one-hour classes in one of the rooms in our house. I’ve been teaching them subjects like math and Dari, and fortunately, they can now read and write. Despite my concerns about my own future, when I see my students, who are able to learn and have a desire for education with my help, it rejuvenates me. Sometimes my worries weigh me down, but I raise my head high and promise myself that I will achieve my dreams. We are girls who have lived with human rights and freedom, and we are still fighting for what rightfully belongs to us, which is freedom and equality.” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“My journey into the world of writing began when I was nearly 15 years old. I was motivated to use the power of words to address the challenges faced by women. I wanted to write about the Taliban and raise the voice of women and what they are experiencing in Afghanistan, but my father never let me do that and he beat me. I remember burning my stories several times [so he wouldn’t find them]. I encountered difficulties, including financial constraints that made buying a computer impossible. I’ve faced a lot of difficulties because of the Taliban. They’ve brainwashed my father with false ideas about Islam and women’s duties. Now my father doesn’t treat me well because I want to raise my voice for my rights. I’m not someone who gives up when things get tough. Instead, I see these challenges as opportunities to grow and become stronger.” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“Despite all my efforts, sleepless nights studying and working hard to get good grades and learn new things to have my dreams come true, I was forced into marriage [at the age of 17]. From a young age, I have been through a lot. Unfortunately, now I am living through the pain of seeing my future as dark as my son’s ashes. We are walking towards an unknown future with no education, no work, and poverty and violence are at their peak.” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“I thought the best years of my life would be my teenage years. But after the events of 15 August 2021, when I attempted suicide for the second time as an 18-year-old girl and spent the hardest days of my life, I realized that adolescence is not pleasant and wonderful. I was in my last year of high school when education for girls was banned, and my dream of wearing a white coat and becoming a doctor vanished. I faced very difficult conditions, and every night I had nightmares and tremendous fear for the Taliban. When the Taliban first entered the city, I couldn’t leave the house for a month. I witnessed girls being whipped by the Taliban just because they didn’t wear the desired hijab. I look forward to a day when women and men will stand side-by-side again, experiencing equal rights.” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“My hopes were shattered, and I was forced to accept a marriage that would lead my future into darkness. My family, especially my father and brothers, insisted on this marriage. They argued, ‘What else can you do? There are no opportunities for women; all doors to education are closed. We can no longer afford to support your living expenses. It’s better for you to get married and begin your own life.’ Even if the Taliban allows universities to reopen, my family will likely not permit me to attend, and I have lost the motivation to start from scratch. Moreover, it’s unclear what the curriculum will entail under the Taliban regime. Will it emphasize human rights and humanity, or violence and killing?” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“In the early days of the Republic’s collapse, I endured challenging times, spending months in severe depression. I lost my job and, soon after, the university gates were closed to me. I felt like my dreams, aspirations and identity had been reduced to nothing. It is essential to support those who have been pushed into oblivion under these dreadful and inhumane conditions, facing numerous challenges in their lives. I have sought to provide educational opportunities for girls who survived the disruption of schooling. Today, even if the doors of schools and universities are closed to us women, we have transformed our homes into schools and universities. Women in Afghanistan must receive support from the people and the international community in every possible way. I am certain that the sole path to fighting the Taliban and gender discrimination in Afghanistan is to support women and girls.”

“Before the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, I was a member of the national basketball team. But after the events of 15 August, all my dreams were shattered overnight. Right now, things in the country are very unpredictable. It’s like going to sleep at night, and when you wake up in the morning, you find out that they’ve added new rules for women. The hardest part for me was when they said girls can’t play sports anymore. I had put in so much effort and overcome so many challenges to make it to the National Basketball Team, and suddenly, they took away my job, my freedom and the sport I loved. Now, I train about 50 girls below the sixth grade in one of the orphanages in Herat. I train them in sports like volleyball, soccer and basketball. I also secretly teach some of the older girls.” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“After 15 August 2021, the situation took a grim turn. The arrival of the Taliban darkened our lives. They imposed their strict rules and regulations on us, confining us to our homes, effectively taking away our freedoms and rights. … Our lives have become a constant battle between our aspirations and the harsh reality imposed by the Taliban. With every obstacle we face, we are reminded that the fundamental rights and freedoms we once took for granted have slipped away, and our journey through a rapidly changing Afghanistan is fraught with uncertainty and danger. Why is it that just because one is born a girl in this country, they have to pay a lifelong price?” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell

“After a few months of wallowing in such despair, I realized that I have to be strong for my children, so I started baking some cakes and cookies at home that my husband could sell at the market. I also have two other women who help me. I hope to one day be able to grow my business so that I can provide more jobs for other women. We must rise, united as one voice, and demonstrate that we can achieve our fundamental rights to work, an education and freedom.” Credit: Sayed Habib Bidell