First published 2022
Artist and activist Nahid Shahalimi gathers the voices of thirteen Afghan women who refuse to accept silence. These women worked as politicians, journalists, scientists, filmmakers, artists, coders, and musicians before the Taliban seized control on August 15, 2021. Their accounts reveal decades of progress now under threat as radical Islamists reject gender equality following the end of America's twenty-year presence. Each woman reflects on her upbringing and the ways she empowered girls and women over two decades. They describe the fear and pain of losing their homeland, but focus on what Afghan girls and women have already experienced: freedom, self-determination, and joy. The collection serves as an appeal for solidarity with Afghan women who deserve the same rights to freedom and dignity. Shahalimi argues that extremist ideas recognize no geographical boundaries, making Afghanistan's struggle relevant everywhere.
Genres: feminism, politics, non-fiction, biography-memoir, current-affairs, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: appeal-for-solidarity, personal-narratives, social-change
Setting: Afghanistan
Period: 21st-century
192 pages · Paperback · Prentice Hall Press
Content warnings: abuse, violence