Afghan Girls Share Their Despair and Visions for the Future Under Taliban Rule

Nilab, a student-turned-tailor from Kabul: “I was in the 12th grade when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. With the Taliban takeover, everyone’s dreams in Afghanistan were crushed. I remember the night I heard the news of Herat’s fall, and I cried until morning. Suddenly, fear, terror and despair took hold of my life. I knew I could no longer attend school, all the preparations I had made for my education vanished into thin air. I realized I couldn’t serve my country as a working woman. While girls...