When the streets were taken from us, we took our protests to closed and underground places

Habiba (not her real name) is a Tajik protester from northern Afghanistan. She is not allowed to share her story, so I'm doing it for her. 

“I am a northerner and a Tajik. I am also a protester. I founded a women’s community resistance group and protested – not a year ago, when Afghanistan fell, but during the first period of the Taliban, when human rights were being violated and the Taliban were oppressing us without obstacles or mercy.

This is the second time we have been captured by the Taliban monsters – who took our language, identity, culture, and even took our literacy, education and work.

After the ideals and dreams of an entire generation were destroyed, we were all in a bad situation. We had no choice but to raise our voices in protest. A fierce war had begun in Panjshir. Genocide was taking place in its most brutal form.

We agreed with friends, colleagues and girls who shared our pain to go to the streets to protest and raise our voices for justice. And we did. None of us were sure if we would come home again.

A few minutes after our protest began, a car stopped in front of us, and merciless Taliban gunmen got out and pointed their guns at us protesting women. However, the protesting women resisted. The Taliban became more violent and started shooting. They imprisoned all of the women in the basement of a bank for three hours and put journalists and men who were attacked with them.

At the same time, protesting women were arrested in the provinces and taken to unknown places.

With the passing of each day and with the increasing cruelty and barbarity of the Taliban, the scope of the protests grew bigger and wider, in line with the terror and tyranny of the Taliban, with people shouting slogans like: ‘bread, work, education, freedom’.

The Taliban violated our human dignity. After that, they started arresting the girls they’d abused. First individuals, then 40 other abused girls were caught.

When the streets were taken away from us, we took our protests to closed and underground places. This continues until now.

The Taliban have never had the capacity to listen to the voices of their opponents and they have gone so far with their violence. With each passing day, the true face of this brutal group is more prominent.

On our side, we are the women and people of Afghanistan who have not retreated a single step from our humanitarian demands and we will not do so. We believe that in this fateful and historical moment, the only way we can put an end to these absurd, oppressive, self-centred and fascist systems is by standing up and resisting.”

Habiba's story and those of more than 50 other women currently living in Afghanistan can be found on the After August website. Their names and locations have been changed for their protection. This collection of true stories documenting the lives of Afghan women is a collaboration between UN Women Afghanistan, Zan Times, Limbo and independent storytellers. It aims to raise awareness and incite an international audience to reflect and, hopefully, to act.