“We must stand up against these oppressive pressures, fight resolutely for our future and remain unshakable”

Shahnaaz

journalist and photographer, Parwan

A woman takes photographs through a camera while a boy looks on.

“My name is Shahnaz, and I’m a 24-year-old woman who is the sole provider for a family of five. I had a deep passion for photography and worked as a journalist and photographer for various local and international media outlets. I would wander through the narrow alleys and streets of my city, capturing the smiles and struggles of my fellow people. I even organized photo exhibitions to support former Afghan security forces, street children and internally displaced people in our province.

A turning point, however, came in August 2021 and marked a drastic change in my life. I can still remember clearly that fateful night when the sad news reached me that our beloved province of Parwan had fallen into Taliban hands. That night, tears streamed down my face as I feared for the safety of my family and a looming cloud of uncertainty shrouded our lives.

The return of the Taliban completely changed my life. I lost my freedom and identity. It was because of my media work against the Taliban that I lost both my job and my source of income. My strong opposition to the harsh Taliban rule put me in danger. The constant fear for my family’s safety hung over us, making me hide and wear a burqa to conceal my identity.

I had no one to financially support me, and the heavy responsibility of caring for my family was all on me. The tough economic challenges pushed me to work in secret under a different name, quietly fighting against the forces trying to suppress me.

The more than 70 restrictive measures imposed by the Taliban against women have created irreconcilable obstacles that prevent us from working, educating ourselves, and practising our basic rights. Our voices have been suppressed, our right to freedom of expression eliminated, and our basic human rights disregarded. However, the presence of women who refuse to tolerate injustice and who courageously express their dissent is viewed with fear by the oppressors.

What pains me most is the profound silence that surrounds not only the Afghan people, but also the international community, when it comes to the distressing plight of Afghan women. As an Afghan woman, I urge the international community to stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan, to provide them with never-ending support, and not to take their eyes off the oppressive rule of the Taliban. It is critical to put pressure on the Taliban until the rights of Afghan women are recognized and upheld. Until that day comes, we will never legitimize Taliban rule.

My message to all Afghan women is a message of hope. We must realize that no one will save us from these dire circumstances. Together, we must stand up against these oppressive pressures, fight resolutely for our future and remain unshakable in our efforts to achieve justice and gender equality.”

“The word ‘freedom’ holds no meaning for me as long as the girls of my land are under the control of the Taliban”

With a thin sheet obscuring them through a window, a veiled woman sits with her two young daughters -- one a toddler on her lap