How It Feels To Be An Afghan Woman
Like the vast majority of Afghan women, I have struggled throughout my career to overcome a deeply entrenched patriarchy, upheld by men, that considers women to be inferior. For years, I fought to defend the rights of vulnerable women—as well as my own right to the opportunities and recognition that men around me were quickly afforded. When the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021, all the progress made by myself and other Afghan women towards equitable social, political, and economic participation in our society disappeared. I had received threats before due to my work defending the rights of Afghan women, but with the Taliban in charge, I feared for my life. My family and I went into hiding, and later fled to Pakistan. We are safe, but there is no future here for my children. My entire life, I have defended and advocated for the rights of Afghan women, even when others have looked away. Now, the only choice I can make is to continue fighting.