In August 2021, the world watched as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, sweeping away two decades of progress toward democracy, human rights and gender equality. While international headlines have since moved on to other crises, millions of Afghan women and girls continue to live under increasingly restrictive policies that have systematically stripped away their most fundamental rights.

This series of anonymous interviews gives voice to those who have been deliberately silenced. Through intimate conversations with women and girls across Afghanistan, we document the profound human impact of the Taliban’s return to power. From students forced to abandon their education to professionals removed from public life, these firsthand accounts reveal the day-to-day reality behind the headlines — a reality of dreams deferred, freedoms revoked, and lives fundamentally altered.

What emerges is not just a chronicle of loss, but a testament to extraordinary resilience. Despite facing restrictions on their movement, dress, education, and employment, Afghan women continue to resist in ways both large and small. Their stories demand our attention not as abstract victims of geopolitical circumstances, but as individuals with unique perspectives, aspirations, and undiminished dignity.

In publishing these interviews, we honor the courage of those who have shared their experiences despite considerable personal risk. Their names have been changed and identifying details obscured, but their voices — clear, honest, and urgent — remain intact.

As the international community’s focus wavers and diplomatic engagement with the Taliban regime increases, these testimonies stand as a powerful reminder: Afghanistan’s women and girls must not be forgotten, and their rights cannot be bargained away in the name of stability or expedience.

This is the second in a series of interviews that will explore the many facets of the lives of Afghanistan’s women and girls under a resurgent Taliban. The first can be found here: Voices of Afghanistan Interview Series: ‘We will continue to resist, to hope, and to fight for a better tomorrow.’ 

JURIST: Tell us about your life before August 2021. Were you working or studying? Any details you wish to share would be appreciated.

Before August 2021, I had a successful life with big dreams for my future. I had finished my education and held two jobs simultaneously with a good salary that supported my family. I worked as a teacher at a school and also at a public health center with a great salary.

It was very easy to go anywhere during free time. My friends and I would visit libraries, restaurants, or parks together. Sometimes I went on picnics to distant places with my family. We were very happy; there were no restrictions for us. We all believed that as time passed, our country would improve and develop. We carried beautiful dreams in our heads.

Watching girls going to school and university, competing for the highest scores in the Kankur exam [university entrance exam] — these were the biggest challenges then. Education, learning, and personal independence were the whispered aspirations of all Afghan girls and women. But we didn’t know that one day we would be prevented from achieving these dreams so easily.

Why should others make decisions about how we live? Unfortunately, today Afghan girls and women are like puppets in the hands of cruel governors, waiting for the sun of freedom to rise. The situation is now very difficult for women, who can’t leave home without a male guardian, even if they are severely ill or dying. In these conditions, it’s impossible for a woman to have an independent job. We, Afghan girls and women, will call for freedom with every breath until our voices reach every human ear. We will not give up, as this can be a path to achievement.

JURIST: How did you learn about the events of August 2021, and what were your initial thoughts or reactions?

August 2021 was a critical and incomprehensible time for me. In that situation, I became like “a dry leaf that falls from a tree.” I didn’t know how to process this experience. I had to give up my job, and the psychological impact was devastating. I couldn’t sleep for days and nights. I felt a terrible pain in my chest and struggled to breathe. I had no patience, and the family’s economic problems added tremendous stress. Not meeting friends, losing mental freedom, being unable to go out for enjoyment — endurance was very difficult for someone who had been working or out of home all day.

I never imagined this disaster, not even in my dreams. Never did I think I would face such conditions. All my dreams were relegated to nothing. I felt like “a body without spirit.” I was afraid I would lose everything, including my family. Sometimes I wished I wasn’t Afghan, so I might have avoided this bitter experience. Or I wished I wasn’t a girl, so I wouldn’t be like a bird trapped among feelings and impacts.

How hard is it being a woman? Yet how much can we shake the world? Even terrorists fear us! When I think about this, I feel happy and energized. What a great gift Allah has given us — that we can rock the cradle with one hand and shake the world with the other. I am proud of women.

JURIST: Which of the Taliban’s new policies toward women has had the most significant impact on your life, or on your family or community?

The hardest impacts the Taliban has imposed on women are: discouragement from education, working outside the home, and going out for enjoyment or picnics. Unfortunately, the Taliban has been successful in implementing these restrictions. But I see women across Afghanistan continuously trying to develop themselves. It’s true that schools and universities are closed to girls, but our enemies should know that women’s inner strength never fails.

That’s why women don’t abandon activities like sewing, embroidery, cosmetology, and other careers. They support their families and other women, shielding themselves from disaster like a mountain.

I’m one of them. When this situation arose, I never gave up. Immediately, I began learning about sewing. I worked day and night until I became a capable tailor in just one month. It was my greatest accomplishment during that time. I’m proud of myself and other Afghan women.

JURIST: Can you share a story that illustrates how life has changed for women in Afghanistan?

In these four years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, we have witnessed many unpleasant events against Afghan women and girls. Most women and girls have lost their homes, families, dreams, jobs, and dignity. Many had to leave their country just to save themselves.

I want to share a story about a female athlete who told me: “When the Taliban took over the country, I was practicing at the stadium. Suddenly, our trainer came in with anguish and stress, saying: ‘Hurry up, go and save yourself, you’re in danger.’ I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I was terrified because I understood they could find and kill me.

“I had only one chance to make a short video of myself and share it on social media asking for help. So I did that. Finally, Allah heard me, and I received several offers from different countries. One was from France. Considering the better situation for women there, I chose that country and left Afghanistan for the first time. Now I live in France.”

It’s true that she lives in safety now, but she had to leave her country and family behind. We can’t call this good news. There are many stories that reveal the desperate condition of Afghan girls and women.

JURIST: Can you describe a moment when you felt the impact of the new rules most strongly?

The strongest impacts from the Taliban’s rules for me have been economic and spiritual. When the Taliban closed girls’ schools and teachers couldn’t go to teach, I was deeply worried because I no longer had a job to earn income. I also lost my healthcare job at the same time. This situation was extremely difficult for me. Finding new work was nearly impossible then, and there was no one to support my family.

Also, because of school closures, my younger sister became depressed and now uses drugs. Seeing these problems, I had to learn sewing, working day and night to succeed and find a way to earn money. I still face economic hardships, but I must get through these days.

JURIST: What would you like the world to understand about your current situation? Or what do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of your current situation?

I want the world to understand our difficult and critical situation. We, Afghan women, have fought throughout history for our freedom, and we are still fighting to achieve it.

I have a request for governments around the world: please support us in this difficult struggle. Women are half of society and the mothers of nations — they are the foundation of the country. If they are forgotten, the community will waste away.

JURIST: What gives you hope or strength in these challenging times?

The bravery, enterprise, and strong belief of my country’s women give me hope and strength. I will make my voice heard around the world. Through this, we will guide our country toward a better future.

This interview, as well as the others in this series, were conducted by a JURIST correspondent on the ground in Afghanistan. This correspondent, an anonymous legal scholar who focuses on women’s and children’s rights, cannot be identified due to grave security threats. 

*Due to security threats, all interviewees’ identities have been anonymized.