Afghanistan- It has been five years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime has been extremely restrictive toward women. Women in the country are not even able to live a basic dignified life. The Taliban have banned girls from studying beyond the sixth grade. Women have been deprived of employment opportunities and are also prohibited from participating in public activities.
Against this backdrop, the BBC, in an extensive live report on the situation of women in Afghanistan last Friday, brought forward the accounts of several representative women. In their testimonies, the women spoke to BBC journalists about the lives they have been forced to endure.
“What Will Happen to My Daughter’s Future?”
Maryam, Midwife
Alongside her work as a midwife, Maryam completed six months of training in obstetric ultrasound and now also performs ultrasound examinations. She works in an area where there is only one female doctor and one midwife for a population of around 50,000 people.
Maryam says:
Sometimes I think about my daughter’s future.
If things remain like this, what will happen to her future? She will not even have the opportunity to complete her schooling as I did, let alone attend university.
If she gets married one day, becomes pregnant and needs a female doctor when it is time to give birth, what will happen if there is no female doctor available? This is a matter of life and death.
I am a midwife. I have seen mothers die. I know this is not just my concern. I believe it is a concern shared by every mother in Afghanistan.
When universities were closed to women, I was studying midwifery at university.
Then, to continue my education, I enrolled in a medical institute, but that was also closed.
If I were not here, many women would not be able to receive medical examinations because families often do not allow female patients to be examined by male healthcare workers.
Before I started working here, there was no female healthcare worker providing ultrasound services in this area. Women had to travel for about three hours over poor roads to another clinic to have an ultrasound.
The journey is extremely difficult for pregnant women.
It is also expensive, and most families here are extremely poor.
“The Hopes and Dreams I Had Worked So Hard For Suddenly Collapsed”
Juhal, Former Journalist
My life during the republic was completely different. Every morning when I woke up, I was excited and ready to go to work.
I would get dressed, prepare myself and leave home full of energy. For me, going to the television station was not simply going to work; it was part of my identity and my life.
When I entered the television station, I felt that I had a place and value in society. I read the news, connected with people and felt that my voice was being heard.
I was deeply committed to my work and did it with love. Every time I sat in front of the camera to read the news, I felt proud and happy.
I had plans for my future and many dreams. I thought that day by day I would gain more experience, move forward and eventually achieve a better position in my career and society.
My life was full of hope, and I worked hard every day to achieve my goals.
I prepared with great enthusiasm and interest. I went to the television station with energy and hope. I read the news and was happy to be present in society, doing something I loved.
I had many hopes and dreams for my future. I believed I could move forward and fulfil my dreams.
But with the change in government, my life changed completely. I was cut off from work and social activities and forced to stay at home. All the hopes and dreams I had worked toward for years suddenly felt as though they had been buried underground.
These days, I spend most of my time at home. I make bread for my husband, wash clothes, sweep the house and do daily household chores.
Housework is important in itself. But for me, it is extremely difficult and burdensome because I was a woman who worked outside the home, read the news, set goals for herself and dreamed about her future.
My greatest pain is that I did not simply lose my job. A part of my identity, independence and hope for the future was also taken away from me.
Those dreams are still alive in my heart. I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to return to the work I love and rebuild the life I had envisioned for myself.
“I Was Unable to Continue My Education”
Nuri
I am a young Afghan woman. Because of various challenges within my family, I completed my school education with great difficulty.
Despite all these problems, I never gave up. I continued my education and successfully completed high school.
After that, I enrolled at university and chose to study law and political science because I wanted to give a voice to women who had suffered and help them by advocating for their rights.
My family’s financial situation was very poor, so I continued my studies despite many difficulties. I even had to take out loans to cover the cost of university.
I had to travel from my district to the city to attend university, and the journey alone took nearly three hours.
Now I lack the financial resources I need to pursue my work. I need the necessary tools and resources so that I can stand on my own feet and help other women.
Unfortunately, following the changes and political circumstances in Afghanistan, universities were closed, and I was unable to continue my studies.
“I Was Sentenced to 39 Lashes and Spent More Than Nine Months in Prison”
Manizha
We were in the same vehicle. At that time, two men from the local command office approached us and asked what we were doing, what our relationship was and where we were going.
He was from one village and I was from another. Since our villages were far apart, they questioned us extensively. As they took us to the command office, they repeatedly insulted me, calling me a “bad woman” and a “prostitute.”
They took us to the command office and then sent us to the appellate court. I was sentenced to 39 lashes. I spent more than nine months in prison.
In prison, I experienced things that I have never even told my mother about. Even now, I do not have the courage to talk about them.
I felt deeply humiliated.
“I Don’t Want My Younger Sisters to Experience What I Have Experienced”
Ila, Dental Assistant
I have no brothers, and my father is now 70 years old. I have been working since I was 16. As for me, I no longer have much hope. But I do not want my younger sisters to go through what I have experienced.
I wish there were language scholarships that could enable them to go to England to learn English and continue their education.
“I Am Living My Life in Darkness”
Lima
When the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in 2021, Lima was in Grade 10 and dreamed of becoming a doctor. Now 20, Lima is from a northeastern province bordering Tajikistan. She says she has become “hopeless.”
I am living my life in darkness because I cannot see my future, and everything I could have had is slipping away from me.
Even now, I cannot imagine anything else. I have lost all my hope.
I am a little tired. The weather is also very hot, around 33 or 34 degrees Celsius. And I am not going anywhere. I am at home.
“Becoming a Pilot Now Seems Almost Impossible for Me”
Sakiba
When schools for girls were closed, I did not want to give up.
I enrolled in an online school and continued my education. Despite all the difficulties, I recently completed my school education online.
For some people, completing school may seem like an ordinary achievement, but for me it is a huge victory. I had to continue my education while carrying the pain of not knowing what my future would look like.
Since I was a young girl, I dreamed of becoming a pilot.
Whenever I looked up at the sky, I imagined myself flying an airplane and looking at the world from above.
I wanted to fly freely and experience a world without borders.
But today, becoming a pilot seems almost impossible for me because I am a girl living in Afghanistan.
