'My heart burns': Three years after fall of Kabul, Afghan women share stories of escape and hope

It is three years since the fall of Kabul. The world watched in shock as the Taliban captured the city in August 2021 and overthrew the Afghan government.

Women’s rights in Afghanistan have since been obliterated. Women cannot travel alone. They cannot go to school or university. They are banned from parks and gyms. They cannot leave their homes without a man. Some are scared for their lives.

Maryam and Saghar, 27-year-olds from Kabul, escaped. They sought refuge and opportunity in the UK and are rebuilding their lives, but they have faced challenges here too. 

• I fled the Taliban and crossed the Channel in a small boat. People come to England as a last resort
• How Afghan women and girls are defying the Taliban with secret schools: ‘We are not alone’

Recent far-right riots targeted asylum seekers in scenes of racist violence across the country. 

“These are talented, determined individuals who, when given the right support, can contribute significantly to our society,” says Genevieve Caston, the director of resettlement, asylum and integration at the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

“Refugees and asylum seekers have often fled conflict and persecution and a welcoming environment in the UK allows them to thrive. We must challenge the stigma and the harmful rhetoric aimed at refugees and asylum seekers. This is more important now than ever.”

Maryam and Saghar share their stories of escape, finding refuge in the UK and their hopes for the future.

Saghar

Three years ago, everything was perfect. We had a good life. I worked in journalism and it was a dream. But suddenly, in 2021, everything changed.

My friend texted me saying the Taliban had surrounded Kabul. In the middle of the day, they came into the city. It was scary. I was in shock. 

Our lives were in danger. We had to leave our home and went to my father’s house. I saw the Taliban for the first time face-to-face. They were carrying guns. I couldn’t breathe. Is this my city?

We were in hiding for five days. I cried in my father’s arms. The situation was so bad. Sometimes even now thinking about those days, it’s hard for me. The British government told my family that we needed to leave the country and we were evacuated days later.

After coming to the UK, I cried for weeks. I couldn’t stop thinking about the situation in Afghanistan – my friends, my family, my country, my people. It had such an effect on me. 

It’s not easy to go to another country. I needed to learn the language. I started to go for English classes. I wanted to learn as much as I could. I went to college and took 15 classes, including a leadership course with the IRC. It was so good for me. I learnt so much. 

After completing that course, I decided to pursue my passion and I enrolled in a fashion design diploma. I would love to be a fashion journalist. It makes me happy.

For my future and my family’s future, I am so positive. I now think of the UK as home. My family came to the UK last year too and I am so happy that they are here and we are safe.

I am trying every day to work hard and sometimes I think to myself: ‘I’m so proud of you.’ I hope I can achieve my dreams. But for my country, I’m sad, especially for women and girls. They can’t even have their basic rights as a human. 

Sometimes I talk to my friends and they’re not even allowed to go to the park or have an education. My heart burns. It hurts me. I studied in that country. I worked there. We had our problems. But life was good. Everything was getting better and suddenly everything changed.

Maryam

I was born in Kabul. I grew up there. I finished my bachelor’s degree in architecture and I worked there for five years as an architect and urban designer. I loved it. I was busy with my job when the changes happened.

As an Afghan woman, I was not allowed to go to university. I didn’t have the right to education, to wear colourful clothes, to share my opinion, to drive. All of that was taken away. It was terrifying. 

I tried contacting universities outside Afghanistan. I knew for sure I didn’t want to stop there. Nine months later, I left Afghanistan for university in Kazakhstan. 

It was life-changing to have that freedom again. I was then offered a scholarship to do a master’s degree in urban planning at the University of Westminster in London.

It was exciting and a dream but I also had this deep feeling of emptiness and fear for the future. I also felt guilty, knowing that my sisters, my friends, my family and a lot of other girls in Afghanistan didn’t have this freedom to pursue education in a safe country. 

It took me a long time to get used to the culture and language and gain my strength. I felt homesick. I have since graduated and become an asylum seeker here. I worry about what is going to happen in my future. It has been a tough time.

I was in a very low position in my life when I found out about the IRC. They gave me training to help with finding a job and they supported me emotionally. They helped me get in touch with other people who were forced to leave their countries.

I’m now volunteering with Daricha, which offers free online training in urban design to women in Afghanistan. I’m also volunteering with the IRC to help asylum seekers gain control of their lives. It means a lot to support people in the same situation as myself. 

My family is still in Afghanistan. I am constantly worried. I hope one day I will be able to return to my family with everything that I learned here. I want to share my knowledge with girls who are thirsty to learn. 

I hope Afghanistan will become inclusive. I want everyone to be able to follow their dreams.

Find out more about the IRC here.

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