I want to start my article with a story about the life of an Afghanistani woman. In one of the remote villages of Afghanistan, there lived a woman named Khadija. Khadija was a woman with a strong spirit and iron will. In her youth, she married Sadiq, a kind and compassionate man. They continued their simple and happy life until war suddenly changed everything. Sadiq lost his life in one of the conflicts, leaving Khadija alone with a little girl named Sara.
Despite the pain and suffering of her loss, Khadija decided to raise Sara in the best way possible. She worked in the fields during the day and told Sara old stories at night to keep her away from the troubles of life. Khadija always reminded Sara to value education and never give up on her dreams.
Years passed, and Sara grew older. With hard work and determination, she succeeded in school and eventually received a scholarship to study at a prestigious university. Khadija looked at Sara with pride every day, knowing that all her hardships and sacrifices had not been in vain. After finishing her education, Sara became known as a human right activist. She defended the rights of women and children in Afghanistan and worked to be a voice for those whose voices are unheard. Khadija always watched her daughter’s successes from afar and felt proud of her.
Years later, Sara was appointed to a high governmental position. She was the first woman to achieve such a rank. One day, at a formal ceremony, Sara spoke in memory of her mother:
“I stand here not only for myself but for all of us, for Khadija. Her love and sacrifice taught me that nothing is impossible.”
With tears of joy in her eyes, Khadija smiled, remembering all the hardships she had endured. She knew that her love and sacrifices had not only changed Sara’s life but also paved a bright future for generations to come.
This story exemplifies the power of a woman’s love and determination, who managed to guide her child to success despite all the challenges and kept the light of hope alive in her heart.
The story of Khadija and her daughter Sara is one of the thousands of tales that Afghanistani women have lived through in history. We can also mention Queen Soraya, the wife of Amanulla Khan in the 1920s; Fatima Nadiri, the first Afghanistani woman elected to parliament in the 1960s; Farida Qaderi, a contemporary painter and artist; Shakiba Hajir, an actress and theater directors; and Shakila Fatemi, a doctor and women’s right advocate. Each of them faced a wave of criticism and opposition in their time, yet they never gave up and continually fought for their goals.
Now, despite all the historical background and two decades that have unfortunately passed, golden opportunities have again created a dark and oppressive environment for us women. War, illiteracy, poverty, and incorrect cultural practices are all factors that claim victims among us women every day. Today, we Afghanistani women are deprived of our most basic human rights. We are not allowed to work, our right to education has been taken away, access to healthcare has become minimal, and in the eastern and southern villages, women are not even allowed to leave their homes.
What I have mentioned are unfortunately the bitter realities of our current society, and the imposition of such stringent restrictions has made life difficult for millions of women in Afghanistan. If you were to evaluate the statistics on women’s suicides in the country over the past twenty years, I can confidently say that a substantial number of these incidents have occurred in the last three years. Yes, we all witness that restrictions exist, but it is our duty as women to fight against challenges and turn them into opportunities. It is our responsibility as Afghanistani women not to surrender to darkness and despair, and we must keep the light of hope alive. Today, there are many women who can serve as role models for others: Shamsia, the top scorer in the entrance exam; Banu Shakardokht, the inventor of a device for diagnosing and treating cancer; and thousands of other active women. We must draw inspiration from their hard work and prepare ourselves for a conscious struggle. We should work together in the most difficult circumstances, study, start businesses, and be a beacon of hope against darkness.
– ‘Zara’
Letter received from our students participating in our Mentorship program. Name and text altered for protection of our students and for grammatical changes.
