After three and a half years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, schools, universities, and educational institutions have been closed to women and girls. Their social, economic, and cultural activities have come to a complete standstill.
These schools and institutions were closed to girls while thousands were about to graduate from the twelfth grade and other university levels. However, with the closure of their right to education, all the dreams and hopes of girls in the country turned to ashes, as they faced physical issues like stomach problems and mental health challenges within the confines of their homes.
Among them, Raihana tells the reporter from the Afghan Women’s News Agency: “My story reflects the voice of all the girls in the country; we girls were born into a land where, from the very beginning, even our families were not satisfied with having daughters. The birth of a son is considered more valuable than that of a daughter. They wished their children to be sons, as having a daughter is not considered anything less than a sin in the eyes of Afghan society.”
“I was a little girl and had a brother, my own age and companion, who always was the focus of the family’s attention. My father, mother, grandmother, and all family members preferred and loved my brother over me. He had the best toys, better clothing, better food, and warmer and more comfortable places, and his rights included travel and recreation. At that time, my aspirations were limited to having a toy better than his. I always thought that to have a nicer toy, I had to be a boy; I did not understand that a girl also has the right to enjoy whatever she likes. I faced numerous other issues during my teenage years with my family; instead of showing me love and helping me with my studies and homework, they would make sarcastic comments: ‘A girl is like a stone you throw; wherever it lands, that’s it.’ However, I grew despite the inequalities and limitations imposed upon me by my patriarchal family; I grew taller, completed school, stepped into university, and never gave up.
During my early days at university, I was still fervently studying when suddenly the news of the fall of Kabul spread across the university. All the students were rushing home; I was frozen in fear of the Taliban forces and could not move. I called my father to come and take me away, but he unexpectedly told me: ‘Good for you that you missed university; this is the end of your rebelliousness; you won’t see the university or studies again.’ Since that day, I have been confined at home and have developed a severe stomach ulcer. My father does not allow me to even enroll in an online university to continue my studies because he shares the same mindset as the Taliban. He thinks, acts, and behaves like them,” Raihana added.
Still, Raihana remains hopeful and adds: “With all these limitations and challenges, I am still alive; a light shines in my heart and gives me hope to stand firm. A progressive society needs capable, enlightened, and aware women. If we girls today lose our hopes, who will raise the new generation of tomorrow? We, the deprived girls of the country, still have dreams — dreams of freedom, dreams of education, and dreams that will never yield.”
Although the restrictions on Afghan girls are not solely about education; they have raised them in a society where they must remain silent in every situation, not laugh loudly, not speak in public, and not express enthusiasm. Raihana firmly states: “We, the girls of Afghanistan, live in such a country; we keep on living and have become accustomed to the new orders issued against us. However, our stature is taller than before, and we will never succumb to the inequalities of the Taliban and society.”
This narrative reflects the resilience of Afghan girls who continue to stand for their rights despite all challenges and limitations.
- منبع خبر : Afghanistan Women News Agency
