MY WHOLE LIFE HAS CHANGED. I CAN’T DO WHAT I COULD DO BEFORE, AND WOMEN ARE LIMITED FROM EVERY ASPECT.

Adiba has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Masters’ of Business Administration. For 11 years she had been working in the field of education at public and private universities and institutes, while also working as a civil society activist and gender adviser for Afghani NGOs more recently. However, since the Taliban takeover, with their ban on civil society organizations in December 2022 and their ban on NGOs undertaking educational activities in June 2023, she has had to move much of her work and advocacy for women’s needs and rights underground.

“Before the takeover, I was in a leading position at an international school. I was also working as a part-time gender adviser with an NGO. As I was doing my MBA, I wrote a paper about factors impacting the work-life balance of female employees at a private higher education institution. And it got published in an international journal.

I am currently working as outreach officer in the liaison office for an NGO project. In addition, I am a member of many women’s groups that work on advocacy. I head the education and training committee of an organization and I am working on a chapter of a book about humanitarian aid and political autonomy in Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban takeover, we have held 11 gatherings in five zones. The de facto authorities (DFA) were present at our gatherings and heard about the problems and challenges that people are facing these days. At each gathering, 30 to 50 per cent of our participants were female.

Anyone in any field can support women. As women, we can continue our advocacy in formal and informal ways. A poet and writer can write about women, a teacher can raise awareness among students. We organized weekly online meetings with women in Kabul and provinces and give them hope and moral support. We provide online psychology training for women. So, everyone – male or female – in any field can use their position and knowledge to support women.”