The Women.
by Joanna Li
“Women in Afghanistan are surviving, we are not living.”- statement from one of the 204 women that the Women for Women organization had interviewed. Ever since the United States had pulled their military forces from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, the Taliban reemerged themselves and began reimplementing their regulations that were placed on Afghan women prior to the United States’ presence in the country. Women are denied education, respect from society, independent financial stability, freedom, and their dignity. Many are being forced to be covered from head to toe when they wish to go outside because it is seen as a distraction if they aren’t covered up. Which is why many would try to escape from this awful lifestyle and seek refuge in countries like the United States or the UK.
An Afghan woman by the name Mah who manages to escape from Afghanistan and now is getting her education in the UK as well as taking her GCSE. The journey to get to where she is now was excruciatingly difficult but back then she knew that if she were to stay in a country that prohibits women from getting education and respect, she’ll be very discontent. Escaping to a safer country outside of Afghanistan is what makes her strive forward as she values her respect and dreams. In such, she is now in the UK and getting a way better life than the life she had back in Afghanistan where women were constantly being seen as worthless. As Mah states, “I am happy for myself. I am safe. I have freedom. I am free. But at the same time, my friends in Afghanistan can’t do anything,”. As Mah had to leave both her family and friends back home to seek a better life outside of Afghanistan but even if she were to go back Mah says, “If I stayed in Afghanistan, maybe they would kill me, maybe they would marry me”. This shows that going back to Afghanistan would likely mean death or the Taliban taking full control of her life.
Luckily, she is safe in the UK where she has finally found the light at the end of the tunnel and a fresh new beginning from the treacherous life that she had back in her old country. She is able to wear whatever she wants, do whatever she wants and have the same rights as the people she is surrounded with. Even though she is unsure about her decisions on fleeing from her country she still ended up getting the life that she had hoped to have. As she finally gets a new start in life and is able to love her life more than she has ever before.
She is free.
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