On a hot summer afternoon on August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul and transformed the lives of millions. Shallah, who was only 16 at the time, ran to the garden with tears in her eyes and told her mother that Afghanistan had fallen. It was a heartbreaking and historic moment that many Afghans will never forget.
Her younger sister, Fatimah, was only 11 years old and was at a relative's house. She learned from her aunt's words what had happened, but at such a young age, she did not yet have a proper understanding of the concept of 'occupation' and who the Taliban were. However, Maahi, the older sister, who was 22, knew better than anyone else what the implications of this event would be. She remembers that at her workplace, her hands trembled while reading the news on her phone.
Returning to Afghanistan: Challenges and Restrictions
Now, these three sisters and other Afghan women and girls have returned to a life filled with restrictions and challenges. In the past year, hundreds of thousands of Afghan women and girls have returned from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan and faced a bitter reality. Since then, severe restrictions have been imposed on their rights and freedoms. Women can no longer attend school, and their basic rights have been severely violated.
Perhaps in the future, the Taliban will realize the need for women's education, but for now, they are on a path that clearly indicates a disregard for human rights. These sisters know that their future and that of other Afghan women are severely affected by this situation, and they live every day with fear and despair.
Life in Afghanistan today, especially for women, has become a daily struggle. These sisters are a symbol of the unwavering will of Afghan women who will never surrender and will not lose hope for the future.
