A life turned upside down by the return of the Taliban

Palwasha is a young Afghan woman committed to the struggle for women’s rights. She is the symbol of a new generation that says no to the Taliban.

A life dictated by commitment

Palwasha, a 25 years old woman, is a committed Afghan feminist. She has been a refugee in Paris since 24 August 2021. She was elected to the community council of her region and worked while collaborating with the American army. Her mother raised her alone with her 4 sisters and brother, without her father who died in the army when Palwasha was 2 years old, so she knew him very little. At the age of 10, Palwasha was translating for tourists to earn some money. She and her mother were the only women working in her country, which was frowned upon, as they worked among men.

The actions taken

Palwasha was elected leader of a community of 256 families, and then leader of the Council of Five Communities. She therefore had great influence over the people of her region.
From Mazar-i-Sharif, which is the fourth largest city in Afghanistan, Palwasha worked with the US military as a communications officer.
She has worked for several non-governmental organisations (NGO), lying about her age in order to work and achieve her goal of fighting for women. Together with her mother, they fought for access to education for women in the Islamic region. Her aim in doing this was to show that the Taliban who call themselves Islamists are not what they claim. For example with the wearing of the burqa which is imposed by them, this obligation is not specified in the religious texts.

Fleeing your country : a ask of survival

Palwasha was told that she was on the green list, which meant that she would be forcibly married to a man. But if she was put on the red list, she would be killed by the Taliban. After hearing this news, she decided to flee Afghanistan with her mother.

An orchestrated and organised exile

In her escape from the country, she was assisted by Non-Governmental Organisations who helped her to escape through contacts. Palwasha has been a human rights activist, both for women and children, since the age of 15. She wants free access to education, gender equality. Palwasha believes that men and women should be educated. France also helped her in her flight as it placed her on the evacuation lists. To escape Afghanistan, she had to go to the airport in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. This young woman had to stay with her mother for several days at the airport, still hoping to be able to catch a plane to France. During these long days of waiting, she suffered a lot of violence from the Taliban. Many women were beaten by the Taliban with gun butts. After several days, she managed to fly with her mother to Paris.
According to Palwasha, the Taliban’s promises about women will not be kept, and everything the Taliban say to the media is false, they want to show a good image of their return to power.
From Paris, she continues to fight her battle and adds :

« My dearest wish is to go back to Afghanistan, when peace is back ».

In Afghanistan, many women are mobilising and demonstrating for their rights, but these demonstrations are not tolerated by the Taliban, they risk a lot.

Other women who fought for their rights in Afghanistan include Meena Keshwar Kamal, Humaira Begum, Farkhunda Zahra Naderi.