Name: Sharifia
I am 27 years old and have three brothers and two sisters. We lost our mother during childhood. My father, who worked for an international organization, always encouraged us to pursue education. I studied journalism after college and began working at a private television station. While working and studying, I also cared for my siblings, taking on the role of both sister and mother.
Joining the media industry was the start of my journey toward achieving personal and professional goals. But everything changed when the Taliban came to power. I lost my job, and all of us were thrown back twenty years. The return of the Taliban affected not just me, but thousands of Afghan women.
From the beginning, the Taliban have used women as political leverage in international forums, issuing decrees that systematically erase our rights. Under their so-called ‘virtue and vice’ mandates, women are told how to dress, where to go, and how to behave. I remember one incident when I accompanied a friend to enroll in university. I wasn’t wearing a full hijab, specifically, not a burqa, and was denied entry. They warned my friend not to bring me again.
Today, I, along with thousands of other girls, am denied access to education, work, freedom of movement, and even the right to choose my clothing. We can’t visit parks, attend mosques freely, or listen to music. Women are forbidden from singing or celebrating publicly.
In daily life, the fear is constant. I don’t feel safe taking a taxi. The Taliban often stop women to interrogate them about their relationship with the driver and check their phones. Even traveling by bus is uncomfortable. A black curtain separates us from men, supposedly to prevent “provocation.”
These restrictions infiltrate every aspect of our lives. I no longer feel safe in the city. I am not the only woman living like this. There are thousands of us. Our stories may differ in detail, but the pain is shared.
I dream of a day when Afghan women are no longer controlled, and we can live freely, pursue our dreams, and reclaim our futures.
