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Afghan women wait for the Taliban to let them return to work, but many have little hope
- A cafe owner, a teacher and an activist describe how Afghanistan has changed since the Americans withdrew and the Taliban took over
- Trapped at home, working women struggle to feed their families and call on foreign governments to amplify their voice
Reading Time:8 minutes
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When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, Sara Seerat was just a young child. She grew up hearing stories of violence, restrictions, and displacement.
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“And for 20 years these were just stories from the past,” she sighed.
“But now I am seeing them, it’s harder. It has impacted every aspect of a woman’s life, the work, the education, the cultural [activities],” said Seerat, 27.
“The only thing that remains is that we are alive … That is something that is left for some of us.”
Thousands of women across the country like Seerat have had their rights restricted since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August. Many have been unable to return to their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. This Week in Asia spoke to three working women about how much their lives had changed in recent months.
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Seerat has been an advocate for women’s rights and female journalists. More recently, she was an adviser to the High Council for Women, which was under the Ministry for Women’s Affairs. But she lost her job after the ministry was replaced by a department for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice.
The only thing that remains is that we are alive
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