After two decades of progress, failed male leadership ended era of learning for Afghan women

The Taliban first took over the government of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001. During these years, the Afghan people were subject to restrictions in violation of their human rights.

Afghan women and girls had no access to education or employment. Girls were confined at home, without any programs or activities, shut out from schools and education centers.

I was one of those girls — kept in the house, unable to go outdoors.

I passed my time like this for months, until the day my father was arrested at work. We didn’t know where he was being kept and spent 10 days searching for him. We found him in bad shape after he had been tortured. He had been so brutally beaten by the Taliban that it was hard to recognize him.

My father carries that fear and the physical pain of the torture with him to this day.

We left the country and moved to Pakistan, living in the city of Peshawar for four years. I worked hard day and night alongside my younger brothers and sisters, between the ages of 10 to 18 at the time, carpet weaving at home to maintain our lives. Long working hours meant my siblings were unable to regularly attend school. But I was fortunate to be able to attend a few English language classes.

We moved back home after the Taliban was defeated by U.S. and international troops and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established in 2001. We had a new government and started a new life with fresh hope and opportunities.

For the first time in many years, we had a peaceful life. Importantly, women did not have to wear the burqa anymore.

Since I had learned some English, I was able to find a job with the United Nations office in Kabul. The international community had opened offices in Kabul and other cities in Afghanistan to increase support the new government.

The job was a big opportunity for me. I was able to help my whole family economically and support my siblings in restarting their schooling so they could continue their work toward bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I also focused on my education. In 2005, I went to Kabul University and commenced my bachelor’s degree program in sociology. I then traveled to Austria for a master’s program.

I continued working with international organizations such as UN Agencies, USAID, The World Bank and the Swedish Embassy. I pursued my PhD, winning a scholarship and completing a doctorate in 2020 from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Studying and working for the last two decades, I have contributed to my country’s development. The change in my personal life, my family’s lives, my community and my whole country has been tremendous.

I tell my personal story to show that I’m simply one of millions of Afghan people who have worked hard to establish peace in Afghanistan. Millions of people like me sought out educational opportunities and contributed to positive developments in Afghanistan, particularly for women. Facing political dilemmas and insecurity, Afghan women have made efforts to be the change agents in the country.

The years from 2002 to 2021 were good for progress and social change in Afghanistan. The presence and support of the international community significantly contributed to incredible social change.

Although Afghan people experienced failed political policies and strategies with leadership of Afghan politicians whose personal interests superseded the interests of the people, we achieved remarkable progress in our social lives. The last two decades were an era of learning. Women had places in schools and universities, and we used education to our advantage in our personal and professional lives.

We had the opportunity to work in all development sectors and run our families and the local economy. We followed the path forward slowly, even though we had big political challenges.

Ultimately, we failed politically because of Afghan male leadership and political failure on the part of the international community. These political failures have contributed significantly to the current chaos in Afghanistan.