In a bold act of defiance against the Taliban's recently imposed morality laws, a 23-year-old Afghan woman has sparked widespread attention by posting a video of herself singing outdoors. The protest, which took place on August 27, 2024, challenges the extremist group's ban on women's voices in public spaces.
The young graduate, identified only as Efat to protect her safety, hails from the northeastern province of Badakhshan. In an interview on August 29, 2024, she stated, "No command, system or man can close the mouth of an Afghan woman. If you close one part of the body of an Afghan woman, another part will work."
The Taliban's new set of laws, issued around August 22, 2024, aims to "prevent vice and promote virtue." These regulations require women to conceal their faces, bodies, and voices outside their homes. The implementation of these rules has led to widespread condemnation, with critics accusing the Taliban of erasing women from public life and granting excessive powers to the Vice and Virtue Ministry.
In response to these restrictions, Afghan women both within the country and abroad have been posting videos of themselves singing. Efat's 39-second video, recorded by her older sister, shows her wearing a deep red jacket, a light blue scarf, and sunglasses. The young woman chose a song with a message of defiance and strength, singing, "I am not that weak willow that trembles in every wind/I am from Afghanistan/I remember that day when I opened the cage/I took my head out of the cage and sang drunkenly."
Efat has a history of activism, having previously protested in the city and market when the full veil, or burqa, became mandatory. She continues to speak openly and criticize the Taliban on her social media pages, despite local Taliban members warning her family about her actions.
The courage displayed by Efat and other Afghan women highlights the ongoing struggle for women's rights in the country. Afghanistan has one of the world's youngest populations, with a median age of 18.4 years, and a female literacy rate of approximately 30%. The country's rich cultural heritage, including its musical traditions and diverse ethnic groups, stands in stark contrast to the restrictive policies imposed by the Taliban.
As international attention focuses on Afghanistan's situation, the resilience of its women continues to shine through. Efat's words echo the sentiment of many: "We will remain stronger than before."
"There is obviously fear. But Afghan women carry the same fear in our lives for the freedom of our voice."
This act of defiance serves as a reminder of the power of individual voices in the face of oppression, and the ongoing need for support and advocacy for women's rights in Afghanistan.