Female Entrepreneurs in Afghanistan Inspire Hope by Starting Their Own Businesses

Sonia Azatyar / Truthdig May 24, 2017 The conservative country still presents major obstacles for companies led by women, but progress is being made. (Pictured: Afghan businesswoman Mariyam Omerkhil.) Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Female Business Owners Undermine Afghanistan’s Patriarchal Society

By Alia Rajai / Sahar Speaks Feb 3, 2017 Under the Taliban, women were rarely seen in business, but that is starting to change. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Young Afghan Girls Share Their World Through Photography

By Mariam Alimi / Sahar Speaks Feb 2, 2017 A female photojournalist whose photo of a farmer became famous in 2004 provides workshops for teenage girls in the hopes that they, too, will find success. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Why Stoning Is Still Used in Afghanistan

By Parastoo Saqib / Sahar Speaks Feb 1, 2017 Although officially banned, this Islamic practice has gained popularity as the environment worsens for Afghan women. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

For Afghan Women Seeking Divorce, a Wild Goose Chase

By Zahra Nader / Sahar Speaks Jan 31, 2017 Afghan civil law does not give women the right to divorce. "Here, a woman's voice is not heard," says a law student who spent four years in court ending her abusive marriage. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rubab Player Breaks Down Barriers for Female Musicians in Afghanistan

By Sitara Sadaat / Sahar Speaks Jan 27, 2017 "Music is for boys and not girls," 22-year-old Fazila Zamir was told. Now she is proving her instructors wrong by performing on television and leading an all-male band. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

What It’s Like to Be Married at 7 Years Old

By Shougofa Alikozay / Sahar Speaks Jan 26, 2017 Despite high maternal and child mortality rates, Afghanistan maintains its custom of child marriage, subjecting victims to lives of poverty and misery. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Given Away as a Child Bride, Afghan Woman Describes 24 Years of Abuse

By Nadia Zahel / Sahar Speaks Jan 24, 2017 After decades of captivity made possible by an inhumane custom, this 36-year-old whispers to a female reporter, "How am I still alive?" Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Kabul in 1979 and 2016: A Mother and Daughter Reflect

By Sparghai Basir Aryan / Sahar Speaks Jan 21, 2017 While growing up in a refugee camp in Pakistan, I realized that the Afghan capital city my mother described no longer exists. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Afghan Girl Dressed as a Boy for Six Years so She Could Go to School

By Zahra Joya / Jan 20, 2017 At 5 years old, I knew I couldn't end up like my mother and grandmother. So I attended school as "Mohammed" to escape the cycle of illiteracy in our village. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Internet Helps Afghan Women Find Their Voices in Battle for Equality

By Sonia Azatyar / Sahar Speaks Jan 19, 2017 In a country considered one of the worst places on earth to be female, social media gives women a way to air and share their views. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )