A call to not be complacent when faced with the silent pain of millions of Afghan women Farida Darvish Last week, I held my newborn daughter in my arms, overwhelmed by the profound joy of motherhood. Yet, my heart aches knowing that for countless girls born in my country Afghanistan, their futures are tragically bleak. The UN Human Rights chief...

Let there be no doubt about what the Taliban is doing. They are waging a war against Afghan women and Afghan girls. They are preventing women and girls from getting educated. They are preventing them from working. They are preventing them from getting out of their homes and moving freely.

The extremist Taliban surrounded Kabul and took over Afghanistan. Once in power, the group enacted controlling rules that removed our rights and freedoms one by one and imposed severe restrictions on women’s opportunities.

Florence* has worked as a journalist for five years in Afghanistan – one of the few remaining professions still permitted to women under the Taliban regime. But the 27-year-old says increasingly strict policies in the workplace are forcing more women out.

By Muzhdan Mohammadi Nazanin* never complained about having to walk up the freezing slopes of Afghanistan’s snow-covered Hindu Kush mountains by her home to get a strong internet signal for her online English course. Her efforts felt especially worthwhile after she won a university scholarship abroad. But just over two years later, that hard-fought opportunity has been abruptly cut short...

For years, Valentine’s Day in Kabul was like many cities throughout the world – over-the-top scenes of red and pink balloons, hearts, and flowers adorned shopfronts and sidewalks, with it not uncommon to see young couples walking and talking together.