Girls cannot continue their studies or professional dreams after the sixth grade.
Originally published in Global Voices in Spanish
Afghan girls in a classroom. Screenshot of the video 'Afghan girls take exams despite not having attended school for a year'in the YouTube of Al Jazeera English. legitimate use.
This article by S. Haidari of 2025 is reproduced with his consent as part of a special series that tells the stories of girls and women in Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021..
I am a child of Afghan land, a soil that has buried countless dreams under its surface.
I was a girl with great dreams for my future; dreams I knew I could only achieve with hard work, education and resilience to many challenges.
Along with my father, who supported me as a strong fortress, I worked tirelessly to approach my dreams, spared no effort to seek my goal.
And then my country was wrapped in the flames of war, and the dreams of many were reduced to ashes. Still, I didn't lose hope. I continued my efforts, despite the harsh circumstances for a bright and prosperous future.
When the Taliban cast their shadow on our country, life changed for all, especially for girls. It all got harder, but the girls in my land didn't keep quiet. They got up and fought for their rights.
Over time the conflict deepened, and the doors of our hopes and aspirations were closed. My companions and I are in a situation where the walls that imprisoned us closed all the way to the future.
To move and explore new ways
In the middle of all this, my father never gave up. He always looked for a way to create opportunities for my sister and I to continue our studies. We moved to another city in the hope of continuing to study, but even there the doors of knowledge and learning were closed for us.
However, I never stopped looking for new ways to continue my formation. In the end, I entered an institute to study obstetrics science, as it was the only place where girls were still allowed to study.
But shortly the Taliban ordered the closure of all educational institutions, and girls were prevented from studying any discipline.
That's when despair reached its peak. They stripped us of everything, even our most basic human rights.
Faithful to dreams
Neighbouring countries and the international community continued to look away, as if the Afghan girls had never existed. In the face of this oppression and injustice, they remained silent and took no action to improve our situation.
Anyway, as an Afghan young man, I continue to believe in my dreams and stand firm in the face of every obstacle. Even if the doors of education have been closed to us, I will never stop trying, no matter how many limitations stand in front of us.
I am sure that if they are denied the right to study Afghan girls, they will not only lose their future, but that Afghan society will also lose their chance of a better tomorrow.
As an Afghan child, I remain faithful to my dreams and I hope that, one day, the world will hear our voices and defend our rights. I continue to dream of a bright and prosperous future for all the brave girls in my country: Afghanistan.
