Samia, a women’s rights activist from Mazar-e-Sharif, is among the thousands of Afghan women whose lives have been shattered by the Taliban’s return to power. Once an advocate for freedom and equality, Sherzad’s journey has taken her from the streets of peaceful protests to the harrowing confines of a Taliban prison and, ultimately, to a precarious existence in exile.
“When the Taliban took over in August 2021, we couldn’t stay silent,” Samia said. “We marched in the streets, demanding our basic rights—the right to education, to work, to live freely. But our peaceful protests were met with unimaginable violence.”
The Taliban’s response was swift and unforgiving. Samia recounted the horrors that unfolded. “They came with their guns and batons, beating women, girls, and boys who dared to stand up to them. I was one of the women they dragged away,” she said, her voice trembling with the weight of the memory.
In prison, Samia endured relentless cruelty. “They didn’t just imprison us—they tried to break us,” she said. “We were beaten until we could barely stand. They forced us to confess to crimes we didn’t commit. They made us stand before cameras and lie, saying we supported their regime, when all we wanted was our freedom.”
Samia’s imprisonment was part of a calculated effort to crush dissent. “The goal wasn’t just to silence us—it was to make an example of us,” she explained. “The message was clear: no one who speaks out will be safe.”
After her release on bail, Sherzad realized her life in Afghanistan was no longer tenable. The threats and surveillance followed her everywhere. “Every knock on the door felt like the end. I knew if they took me again, I might not survive,” she said.
With her young son, Samia fled to a neighboring country, leaving behind her home, her work, and her dreams. But exile has brought its own set of challenges. “We live without legal documents, in constant fear of deportation,” she said. “Every day, we wonder if we’ll be sent back to face the same horrors—or worse.”
Samia’s story is one of countless others. Thousands of Afghan women and their families are trapped in similar limbo, facing an uncertain future while bearing the scars of Taliban repression.
She has now turned her pleas to the global community, urging action. “I call on the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to hear our voices, to investigate what we’ve endured, and to protect us,” Sherzad said. “The Taliban’s recognition by the international community would be a betrayal of every Afghan woman who has suffered under their rule.”
Under the Taliban’s regime, women in Afghanistan are barred from education, work, and public life. “They’ve turned us into prisoners in our own country,” Samia said. “But even in exile, I refuse to let them silence me. The world must know what is happening to Afghan women.”
Despite the dangers, Samia remains steadfast in her mission to fight for justice. “Justice must reach the rightful owners,” she declared. “We will not stop fighting for our rights and the rights of all Afghans. The Taliban may have silenced some voices, but they will never extinguish the fire for freedom.”
