Unlike the Taliban, Afghan women have evolved.  Unfortunately, the nightmare of every Afghan woman has come to pass. The Taliban have come to power once again. Women are locked up like prisoners in their own homes. Women who were money earners for their families now sit at home. Women and girls who have enormous dreams and plans for a brighter future, today fight on the streets to protect their right to an education and work.

Over the past 20 years, more and more women have managed to stand on their own feet. They have started their own businesses, and worked at the parliament, government, and non-governmental organizations.

They proved that they can be not only a good mother or wife but also a financial supporter for their family. Although the Taliban targeted them again and again, the women who worked did not give up. They started every day with determination to bring well-educated children to the world.

When the Taliban took one Afghan city after another, many world leaders were optimistic. They said that the Taliban had changed during the past 20 years. They believed that the Taliban would respect women’s rights.  But just a few days later the Taliban proved to the world that they had not changed their thoughts regarding women. They closed girls’ schools and beat women on the street who demonstrated for their basic rights.  It is the women who are changed. The women are ready to pay any price to maintain the same rights that they had before.

Sara used to work as an adviser in a department of the government.  She also ran her own business. She participates in all the demonstrations for women rights. She says her family fears that the Taliban will kill her because she demonstrates with other women for their rights. She said, “It’s important that we raise our voice. I’m not scared. I will keep going again and again and again, until they kill us. It is better to die once than to die gradually.”

The Taliban have never been Afghans. They are terrorists and terrorism is always against humanity. They cannot govern a country. They destroy the well-being of the people. As an Afghan woman, I am shocked that the world let the terrorists have our country. Even though the media tries to show the realities of women’s situation in Afghanistan, the violence and oppression are still taking place, hidden from view.

For more Information regarding how the Taliban treat women protesters, please go to this link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58491747

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