Defiant women who paid the ultimate price to help Afghanistan

As violence continues to rock Afghanistan there is mounting cynicism about ongoing peace talks.

In the last six months of 2020, there were 500 assassinations of government officials, journalists and activists, according to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.

But women in particular bore the brunt of this killing spree, in many cases singled out by militants determined to wipe out intellectual debate and impose a narrow agenda for the country's governance.

Here are just five of the most prominent female victims of these attacks, their careers and aspirations cut short.

Malala Maiwand

Named after an Afghan national folk hero – a woman who rallied local fighters against British troops in 1880 and widely known as Afghanistan's Jeanne d'Arc – Malala Maiwand was the daughter of a women's rights activist who grew up in Jalalabad, one of the most conservative parts of the country where to this day few women work outside the home.

Five years ago, her mother was gunned down because of her convictions and fight for equality; Malala died in December 2020, shot dead by an ISIS gunman.

A journalist and anchor at Enikass Radio and TV, Malala was described as “confident, strong and compassionate” by her colleagues.

She spoke out against injustices and violence targeting women and her unique access to stories – which reached men and women – made her a prominent journalist in eastern Afghanistan.

"She would sit down, listen and show real compassion," said the channel's director, Zalmay Latifi, who had been advocating to hire more women.

Malala spoke openly about the difficulties women in the workforce face in Afghanistan, but encouraged others to follow her example. She was 25 years old when she was killed.

Fatima Natasha Khalili

Born in a refugee camp in Pakistan, Fatima Khalili – who was often called 'Natasha' by her family and friends – returned to Afghanistan after finishing her scholarship-funded degree in human rights at the American University in Kyrgyzstan.

She worked as a donor co-ordinator for Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, a dream come true for the 24-year-old, an outgoing woman who enjoyed socialising with friends but also spent large amounts of her time volunteering.

“She loved her job and was always positive and full of life,” her mother, Halima Sarwar, said of her daughter. “She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, would always ask questions and built her own opinion,” she said.

Fatima was murdered last June when a magnetic bomb attached to her office's car exploded, killing her and her driver.

Her family has since raised funds to launch the Fatima Khalili School, Kabul’s first institution for children with all types of disabilities.

“She always hoped for change,” her mother said. “To her, working in human rights was a responsibility she took seriously. She was adamant to do her part to change the future of the country she loved so much.”

Freshta Kohistani

Freshta Kohistani was a women's rights activist from Kapiza, a rural province in central Afghanistan. Previously a provincial council member, Freshta used her influence and prominence to lead protests and to raise awareness about violence against women. In the capital, Kabul, she would often organise big gatherings of women, demanding equal rights and justice.

She would frequently post about violent incidents in her country, decrying the war and fighting.
She was killed by gunmen last December, amid a rampant increase in assassinations.

Dr Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, for whom Freshta had previously campaigned, described the young woman as "brave and fearless."

Freshta had received threats and feared for her life, asking for the government's protection.

“Afghanistan is not a place to live. There is no hope for peace. Tell the tailor to measure your funeral dress, tomorrow could be your turn,” she said in a tweet in November. She was killed at the age of 29.

Soraya Gul

A mother of five, Soraya had barely met her newborn daughter Zahra when she was killed last May when a maternity hospital in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood was bombed. Alongside her, 23 other people died, including 15 other mothers.

Working for Afghanistan's National Army, Soraya had been the family's breadwinner and was described by her husband Agha Gul as "independent and strong.." She worked up until she was ready to give birth, barely taking a break.

He said she worked to protect her country and family from terrorists. Soraya gave birth to her fifth child the night before she was killed. She was 30 years old and lived in a small brick house with her family in west Kabul.

Her daughter Narges, 12, has since started writing poetry; her way of processing the events of the past year.

“You are the light of my life. When I felt pain, you were the first person I’d run to. Now our lives are darkened,” Narges wrote. “I write these words with tears of blood.”

Marziah Tahery

Born and raised in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, Marziah was a public administration and policy student at Kabul University. An outgoing young woman, she was killed in an ISIS attack on her campus last November.

The 20-year-old has been described as an ambitious student and a good listener who had ambitions to be part of a young, new wave of women joining the country’s politics.

“She wanted to help shape the future of Afghanistan, that’s why she hoped to study to eventually enter politics,” her cousin Sayed Haseebullah said.

“It’s a huge loss for our generation. There is nothing left to say. This land is not valuing human life. Mariah has left this world. She is gone forever,” he said.