Name: Sharifa
Region: Ghor province
My name is Sharifa. I graduated in 1400 (2021) with a degree in Law and Political Science. Due to my strong interest in civic engagement, I was actively involved in civil society activities during my university years and was a member of the Ghor Civil Society Activists Association.
I lost my father during childhood, but my mother worked tirelessly to help me achieve my dreams. She endured the most difficult days of life so that I could become someone of value. Her sacrifices made me more resilient and determined to turn our shared dreams into reality.
After graduating from university, I was appointed as a contract employee at the Ghor Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. At the same time, I was preparing for a master’s program and aspired to become the first female governor of Ghor. Afghan women have always been victims of political agendas and state decisions throughout history. That’s why I wanted to contribute to shaping a better future for the women of my country.
Unfortunately, with the return of the Taliban, all our dreams were shattered. We were stripped of even the most basic human rights—our right to work, study, and learn. In our province, and across Afghanistan, girls are banned from attending educational courses. You mentioned the closure of one educational center, but we have witnessed the shutdown of many such centers in Ghor.
The Taliban even go to rural districts and tell families not to send their children to educational courses, claiming that these courses teach the language of the Americans. They say, “We fought the Americans for twenty years, and now you are establishing courses to teach their language.”
We are a small group of civil society activists in Ghor, but due to the extremely restrictive environment, we are unable to operate openly. However, we do ensure that every action taken by the Taliban in Ghor is reported to external media. The closure of the educational center was also shared through our working group, and we worked on publishing a report about it.
The world must understand that the Taliban are enemies of knowledge and enlightenment. Their only goal is to turn educational institutions into Pakistani-style Haqqani madrassas, aiming to indoctrinate the youth into becoming suicide bombers.
No matter where we are in Afghanistan, even if we cannot raise our voices publicly, we will continue to expose the Taliban’s crimes through the media.
