Mursal’s Voice for Change | Column 4
Afghanistan’s Dark Future in the Silence of Its Daughters

Since the return of the Taliban, Afghanistan has been walking down a dangerous path, a path where half of its society is deprived of the most basic human rights; the right of education, the right to work, and the right to take part in social life. This is more than just a gender issue. It is national crisis which is a big threat for the growth and progress of Afghanistan,

According to a report by UNESCO 1.5 million girls have been prevented from attending secondary schools since 2021. This number represents the millions of unfulfilled dreams, hidden talents waiting to bloom, and a future locked behind closed doors for Afghan girls. No nation can progress without having educated women. A society that restricts its girls and women from learning, is in fact cutting its roots for its own development.  

Today, women’s presence is systematically prohibited in public spaces in Afghanistan. They are banned from teaching, from working in government institutions, media, and even from walking freely in the streets. Such a type of society only breathes half of its human power. History shows that no country could develop by removing women from the social stage. 

A report from the World Bank shows that the restriction on women has directly damaged the economy of the country. Before 2021, women made up nearly 22% of the formal workforce. Removing them from the labor market has led to a decrease in GDP, increased poverty, and economic dependence of families. The fact is that every girl who is not allowed to work or study today might be added to the cycle of poverty tomorrow. 

Beyond the economic crisis, the psychological and social damage caused by this situation is much deeper. The girls who are deprived of education and social participation, grow up in fear and hopelessness. The feeling of being worthless and losing self-confidence is also hurting them. This wound not only hurts today, but will also affect the future of Afghan generations because an uneducated mother cannot bring up an aware child. 

Despite all these restrictions, hope still lives in the hearts of Afghan girls. They study in their homes, write in silence, and resist with their words from behind the closed doors. For an Afghan girl, a pen is not only a writing tool, but a surviving tool. They are still fighting through different ways to raise their voices to inform the world that there are still girls in Afghanistan who think, learn, and fight for their rights, and dream of freedom.

But if this situation continues the same, if the doors of schools remain closed and women are kept away from public life, Afghanistan will be trapped in an endless cycle of ignorance, poverty and inequality. Peace can never be stable when half of the people of a society are prohibited from education and a free life. 

The future of Afghanistan lies in the hands of its leaders today. If they continue to ignore and silence girls and women, and deny their basic rights, the shadow of darkness will spread out not only over today, but over future generations. But if they allow girls and women to take part in their society, if they open the doors of schools and universities, if they allow them to learn and create, then a brighter and hopeful tomorrow will rise in Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan’s leaders should understand that a society where half of its population is kept in shadow, will never reach the light. Closing the doors of education for girls means closing the doors of progress, awareness, and humanity. A generation deprived of learning will face ignorance and poverty in future

But if they open the doors of schools for girls, it will not only mark just the beginning of education, but the beginning of a national revival. Because a nation lives through awareness, grow with equality, and reborn through the love for education.  

Welcome to 'Mursal’s Voice for Change'

"Mursal’s Voice for Change” is a monthly column that sheds light on the untold stories of Afghan women and their struggles, both inside the country and in exile. Written from the perspective of Mursal Qaisari, an Afghan student of International Relations and writer who has lived through war, displacement, and resilience, the column explores the challenges of women’s rights, the pain of exile, and the hopes for a more just and equal world. Through personal reflections and broader narratives, it connects the realities of Afghan women and Afghanistan as a whole to the wider struggles faced by people across the globe.