afghan women Archives

Struggling to survive: Story of a challenging journey

"During the days that I lived under the dark shadow of the Taliban, I felt like a bird in a cage. Like a bird with wings, but no permission to fly," Afghan journalist Zahra Joya…

by Zahra JoyaSep 15, 2021

‘The Humiliation I Experienced Just to Escape the Taliban’

Get trampled or crawl through sewage? An Afghan woman describes the "humiliating" conditions fleeing Afghans faced while trying to escape Afghanistan after the Taliban took over.

by Zahra NaderSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

‘The Day the Taliban Reached Kabul, it Turned into a Ghost City’

Afghan journalist Maryam Nabavi describes feelings of hope and despair after Kabul fell to the Taliban.

by Maryam NabaviSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

The Taliban’s Return Was the Death of Dreams

After two weeks of living under Taliban control, a youth activist decides it’s time to for her to leave Afghanistan. “This is not what our people deserve,” says Hosnia Mohseni, 30.

by Hosnia MohseniSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

‘They Left Us to the Taliban’

Six Afghan women describe their feelings of fear, anger, and betrayal in the wake of America’s departure.

by Zahra NaderSep 3, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Foreign Policy and The Fuller Project.

What Afghanistan’s women stand to lose

For the past 20 years, Afghan women were told to chase their dreams. But within days of the Taliban takeover, Afghan women are mourning their working lives and freedom.

by Zahra Nader and Amie Ferris-Rotman Aug 20, 2021

Dangers of Being an Afghan Woman in Uniform

Inside the expensive and complicated NATO campaign to get more women into the Afghan security forces, and keep them alive.

by Sophia JonesOct 5, 2018

This article was originally published in The New York Times Magazine.

The Dangers of Forcing Gender Equality in Afghanistan

The idea of supporting measures that expand gender equality seems like an easy call. But, as one Afghan woman's story shows, bolstering the ranks of women in security forces in a country like Afghanistan is…

by Sophia JonesNov 21, 2017

This article was originally published in The New York Times.

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