Posted by Photo by Farzana Wahidy
Under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, women’s rights were completely stripped away. Women were not allowed to pursue their education, all girls’ schools were closed down, women were not allowed to work, and they were ordered to remain in their houses.
Raised in Afghanistan during the Taliban era, Farzana Wahidy was forced to go to school in secret in a small apartment in Kabul. At the age of 11, she helped teach mathematics to 60 other girls.
Photo by Farzana Wahidy
I asked Farzana, when she was at National Geographic headquarters a week or so ago, to talk about the photo she made from behind a burqa, the traditional head-covering worn by Afghan women. During the time of the Taliban it was mandatory for all women in Afghanistan to wear the burqa when outdoors.
She talks about the photo, which is at the top of the page, on this video:
Video by David Braun/National Geographic News
“During the Taliban regime, I witnessed many important stories but did not know how to share them until I discovered photojournalism.”
“For me, photography is an international language. I chose photojournalism because through it I found freedom, and it opened the possibility of sharing the stories of my community with the world.”
Here are a few more of Farzana’s photographs from the exhibit:
