Fatima (not her real name) is a university student in Bangladesh. She had just finished her classes when she received a phone call from Afghanistan, her home country. The call would change her life.
“It was then that I learned they [the Taliban] murdered my father only because he supported me to pursue higher education. I am concerned about the safety of my other family members living in Afghanistan, and I do not know if the Taliban will let me live if I go back there,” she said, holding back tears.
“People in Afghanistan believe that a woman is born only to give birth and care for her children and husband. She should not be doing anything else. So, there is no point in a woman being formally educated.”