By Baharan Laheeb

Kapisa– In recent years, Afghan women have faced severe restrictions on their rights to education, work, and social participation, due to laws and regulations that limited their freedom and weakened their presence in public life. These restrictions have negatively impacted their economic, cultural, and social conditions across the country.

Despite these harsh challenges, many Afghan women continue to make tireless efforts to sustain their activities through alternative means — such as informal education, forming small support networks, engaging in cultural initiatives, and organizing community awareness programs.

In this context, Sadaf Ahmadi, a young woman living among Afghanistan’s towering mountains, said, “I am one of the Afghan girls who suffer, living in one of the provinces under Taliban rule.” Her words summarize a painful reality experienced by thousands of women who, despite everything, still cling to hope and continue their struggle in silence.

She recounted her experience after the Taliban’s return to power: “At that time, I was in the tenth grade. I saw how women were deprived of their most basic rights. I suffered severe psychological distress and wasn’t well for almost a year — until one day, I stood before the mirror and said to myself: You are a girl, and the Taliban do not bother you because you are weak. They are terrified by the possibility that we might rise and lead one day — that is the essence of their fear.”

Speaking about the steps she took to rebuild her life, she said, “I decided to turn the Taliban’s nightmare into a different reality. I applied to enroll in an online school, even though I was still in the tenth grade. I went through a month-long exam period and passed successfully. Then, I gathered around 40 girls from my village and encouraged them to continue their education.”

As for how she motivated the girls around her to face fear and engage in learning, she explained, “I used to tell them: If you are a girl, then the Taliban should fear you — not the other way around. They are human like us, but we are strong women and girls, and they are terrified of our strength. Let’s unite, abandon negative thoughts, and focus on what’s positive.”

With this belief, Sadaf Ahmadi began her educational class, dividing her teaching into two groups: one for girls who had dropped out of school, and another for illiterate women.

She added, “I now have around 100 students — some learning for the first time, others returning to study. I was active in the online school for about a year, and we achieved great results. My students study with passion and great enthusiasm.”

But this initiative did not go unchallenged. She said, “The Taliban interrogated my students several times because of the educational classes we established in the village. Even if it’s a religious school, they are suspicious. They visited my class multiple times and asked the participants: Do you teach English? Or science? In most parts of Afghanistan, especially in rural areas, women are forbidden to study. Only their own women and children are allowed to learn. So why should others be deprived? We told them it was just a religious school — and that’s how we were able to continue our education secretly.”

Sadaf Ahmadi took serious steps to develop her reading and writing skills and described her moment of transformation: “I stood before the mirror again and said to myself: You have succeeded in inspiring a hundred girls. You gave them hope and revived dreams that were about to die out. Then I asked myself: What have you accomplished?”

She continued, “I returned to my pen and my notebook — my only companions during the harsh winter nights and moments of deep despair. My spirit and mind drove me to write, so I turned to stories and poetry to express the suffering of Afghan women, girls, and mothers — to document their pain and carry their voices to the world. I have been writing poetry for about eight months now and continue my work with determination and diligence.”

She concluded her message to Afghan women and girls with words filled with strength and determination:

“Do not fear the Taliban. You are the foundation of society and the builders of the future. Without you, there is no community, no meaning to life, and no place for dreams. You are the true heartbeat of this nation. Do not settle for wishes — rise up, strive, and face challenges with all the determination you possess. On the path to success, you will encounter pain and setbacks, but in those moments of weakness, when you are burdened with wounds, you will remember those you love, think of your future, and realize that struggle is the only path to victory. It is not enough to dream of change; we must create it with our own hands — through struggle, patience, and faith that we are capable of breaking the chains and shaping a reality worthy of us.”