Soraya Sobhrang, Afghan women’s rights activist: "A network of women for women – that is our aim for the future."
Soraya, how did the situation change for Afghan women and girls after the international intervention in 2001?
In the 20 years or more after the first Taliban regime fell from power, we achieved many things – at the legal, political and societal levels. Legal equality for women was incorporated into the Constitution of Afghanistan. We could assert basic rights for women, including the right to education, to freedom of movement, to freely choose their spouse, of physical integrity and protection from violence. Women were able to work as lawyers, judges and doctors. We established the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. There was also a civil society movement – especially among young people – for more democracy and human rights
How did you experience the Taliban taking power in August 2021?
When Herat fell we knew the Taliban would also come to Kabul. The days before they reached the city were full of fear and chaos. We closed our office in Kabul and began to undertake the first evacuation measures. Then, when the Taliban finally entered Kabul, panic and despair took over. People were running around in the streets with no plan but a lot of fear. They seemed to be trying to flee without knowing where to go. As activists it was crucial for us to take care of each other during this period. We also needed to run from the Taliban, to abandon our homes and the life we were leading. We hurried from one safe hiding place to the next. Secure channels of communication were used to exchange a lot of messages, encourage each other and provide any support we could. In this difficult time, many international activists were encouraging and supporting us, including our colleagues at medica mondiale. Every day I spoke with Monika and Sybille (the Chairs of medica mondiale, Ed.) and medica mondiale provided support for all staff members trying to leave the country. This was a great help to us.
What does the return of the Taliban mean for the Afghan population, and in particular for women and girls?
The population is suffering. The Taliban were able to take power, but they do not know how to govern. In public they like to claim they have changed and developed, becoming more open-minded and modern. But that is all merely a facade. As soon as they had seized power, they started systematically restricting women’s rights and closed down the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Most of the women’s safe houses, women’s rights organisations and human rights organisations had to close. In particular it is the young women and girls who are suffering: they are again being excluded from higher education and are only allowed to go to school until Year 10. Many young girls are facing forced marriage, since the threat of famine is ravaging the country and people are acting out of despair – to the point they are prepared to sell their daughters in an attempt to save the rest of the family from starvation. Young Afghans who have a good education or training are trying to leave the country.
Where do you find your hope in the midst of these difficulties?
What plans do activists have for the future? At the moment we are in a phase of disruption. Our main goal currently is to provide as much support as we can to those colleagues who have not yet been able to leave Afghanistan. For the long term we have to think optimistically. The Taliban have dismantled many of our achievements from the past 20 years. However, there is now a generation in the country who know about democracy and human rights. This was not the case during the 1990s when the Taliban first seized power. So the younger generation is our greatest hope, since the Taliban cannot take away their knowledge, skills and dreams. And this also means that the commitment to the rights of women and girls, and to a more just society, will not go away. For us as activists, this means thinking carefully about how we can maintain the commitment, support it and strengthen it. We want to build a bridge between the local activists and those outside the country, continuing our efforts to uphold women’s and human rights in Afghanistan. A network of women for women – that is our aim for the future.
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