‘We Have Stitched Our Hearts to Hope’: The Unseen Resistance of Afghan Women… — The Diplomat

“Life in Afghanistan has become… exactly like a dark grave.” These words, spoken by a woman in Sar-e Pol province of Afghanistan, are not hyperbole. They are an accurate description of daily existence in the country ranked worst in the world for women. Since August 2021, when the Taliban regime retook power, Afghan women have been subjected to unprecedented levels of gender-based oppression that they describe as akin to imprisonment. Many recall the pride of attending school or contributing to their communities through work. That pride has been replaced by feelings of isolation and frustration as doors remain closed. “Families are now afraid to have daughters because they see them only as a burden in the home,” said Zulaikha from Parwan, one of 165 testimonies of Afghan women recently collected by the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS). In rural areas, women are completely excluded from employment and education and must rely on male relatives for any public activity. They face extreme barriers to accessing health care with a severe shortage of female health workers. In urban areas, women face morality police in all spaces, bans on makeup and mobile phones, and constant surveillance and harassment for their clothing or any “unapproved” behavior such as speaking loudly or laughing. These are not just policy setbacks, but personal blows…