To celebrate International Women's Day, you can watch two reports about life for Afghan women under the Taliban. The first one is a short video titled "
Have Afghan women been forgotten. The Taliban's rules for women in Afghanistan" by Al Jazeera, and the second one is the BBC News report "
In their own words: Spend one day with Afghan women living under Taliban rule".
The Al Jazeera video below is short (05':37") and has subtitles, so it can be recommended for B2 students and above, who can pick up words like: timid, a cage, [to take] power, to be banned from [a job], a chaperon, a beauty salon, to take a [huge] toll on [their mental health], a surge, a midwife, a health care provider, [against] a backdrop [of an economic crisis], to struggle with [an issue], to flee fled, a breadwinner, the mindset, gender apartheid, on [gender] grounds, to be committed, to spin, to be on board [with the restrictions], resilient.
The BBC News report
In their own words: Spend one day with Afghan women living underTaliban rule" is a collection of short contributions from Afghan women: in the first one
Freshta, a midwife says her rural colleagues lack higher education, in the second piece
Lima, an 18-year-old with a singing talent tells the BBC she feels so isolated, she uses AI as a friend to talk to, you can see
videos of Lima singing,
photos of Zenat at work, or
pieces of Ala's art; there is a third text on
how Freshta spends her days without working, another one about what
what Lima misses about her life, a fifth story about
what Hela hopes to achieve in the future, and there are many more testimonies to read (Iftar feast, Ala again, Arshida, Moska etc). This on-going BBC report can be recommended for B2+ students and above, who can read as many short texts as they please and will find interesting expressions like:
a decree, to bar [them] from [education], a midwife, to scroll [down], Freshta: a C-section, labour, Lima: fake [hope], an overthinker, Zenat: mud, a bakery, a set-up, dough, a batch [of dough], Ala: an outbreak, to be deprived of [education], [to hold on to] a glimmer [of hope], Freshta: to strive, to step out, a brand, Lima: a takeover, MMA, kickboxing, numb, Hela: to bless [us with success], to sponsor [us financially], to stand on our own feet, Iftar feast pictures: [to break their] fast, Iftar, Ala: sheer [necessity], to bear the burden, overwhelming, to be weighed down [by traditions], to sorrow, to deem [worthy of], Arshida: to take over, to be trapped, harsh [reality], resilience, to mirror, Moska: to shatter, to deprive of [learning], to resume [my education] etc.Women are strong and resilient in Afghanistan and all around the world.
Happy International Woman's Day, 2025!
