“We are only surviving as a nation; we fear the day when we will not even have the air to breathe”

“I grew up in a large and densely populated family. My family’s behaviour towards girls was dictatorial. The elders in the family did not want their daughters to study or work outside.

I was insulted and beaten by my brothers several times on account of going to school, but with my determination and my mother’s support, I managed to complete my education. When I wanted to take the entrance exam for university, none of my family members agreed. But through tears and even with a hunger strike, I seized this opportunity. After much hardship, I managed to get into university [to study agriculture] and was happy that I could at least study and hoped to become a productive member of society, for my family and my people.

I had completed one semester at the university when the previous government collapsed into the hands of the Taliban, wiping out all my efforts and aspirations. A sense of regression, hopelessness and confusion overcame me. It was truly a horrifying feeling!

After that, my brothers became unemployed because they were all in the military, and they could no longer work openly or even move freely. My family is in a dire economic and security situation, and our way of life has completely changed, leaving us with no peace of mind.

Working outside the home, especially under these circumstances where women have no voice, is a real challenge. Taliban officials and soldiers often question my students for various reasons, sometimes about the appearance of their clothing and sometimes because of the location of our tailoring workshop [near military installations because rent is lower]. Every morning, I go to the workshop with fear and anxiety. I am afraid that they may have enacted new laws and might seize this limited opportunity that we have.

The international community has forgotten us. We appeal to the international community not to let the struggle of Afghan women, which we have been waging for more than two decades, remain in futility. We are tired of meaningless slogans. We need real empathy and support.”