To close out women’s history month, I've released a new video covering the “100-Year History of Afghan Women”. Of all the videos I've made, I feel the proudest and excited about this one. Through the non-profit organization, I co-founded, Afghan Friends Network, I devoted 17 years to educating women, girls, and boys in Afghanistan. I would hate to see the hard-earned rights that Afghan women fought for be taken away if the Taliban come back in power.
In the video, I’ll cover how regime changes, visionary leaders, and wars have affected the lives of Afghan women and how power-sharing with the Taliban could undo the gains in the past twenty years. People often ask me why Afghan women have ALWAYS been oppressed. It was this recurring question that inspired me to make this video to show the progress, gains, and setbacks in the past 100 years and how they have shaped the current climate for Afghan women.
We start with the reign of King Amanullah and Queen Soraya who attempted to modernize Afghanistan and gave unprecedented rights to women. Then we go on to cover the ‘Era of Peace’ 1933-1973 when Zahir Shah was the last king of Afghanistan and progress was slow and steady. During the Russian occupation, many rights were given to Afghan women but it was ineffectual in the rural areas where Afghans were being slaughtered by Russian airstrikes and women were losing their homes. The video ends with the current peace talks with the Taliban and how power-sharing could affect the lives of Afghan women.
Exactly a month from today the 1st of May is the deadline for US withdrawal from Afghanistan. At the center of the debate is what will happen to Afghan women if the Taliban return to power. Now Afghanistan is at a tipping point that will dictate the role of women in society for the next 100 years.
I worry that all the progress that has been made since 2001 will be lost if the Taliban are recognized and given legitimate political power. I worry that Afghan women will once again become collateral damage.
I hope you find this video educational and share it with your friends, family, and on social media. I appreciate your help in educating others about the plight of Afghan women. I welcome your thoughts and questions in the comments section.