Overcoming Darkness: Inspiring Afghan Girls Embrace Education Despite Taliban Restrictions

Parasto Hakim was startled by a knock at the front gates.

She scanned her classroom for a quick headcount - all the girls were already in attendance. It could only be the Taliban.

Her heart raced as she opened the door, only to be confronted by at least five members of the Afghan militant group demanding to verify if she was violating any regulations. She was well aware that this clandestine educational institution had been established to empower girls, in defiance of the Taliban's recent takeover of Afghanistan and their ban on female education.

Without hesitation, Hakim activated the school's stringent security measures, having previously trained her staff and students on how to handle a Taliban inspection.

"I instructed the girls to maintain absolute silence, avert their gaze, and refrain from engaging in conversation even if directly approached by the Taliban," revealed Hakim, who spoke from an undisclosed location beyond the confines of Afghanistan.

"While the Taliban interrogated the girls, their gaze remained fixed upon me, and I, trembling with fear, had no choice but to respond on their behalf."

Hakim reports that the girls were offered bribes by the Taliban to speak up, yet they chose to remain silent. In response, the militants resorted to shouting and attempting to intimidate both her and another teacher with their inquiries. However, failing to make any progress, they eventually gave up and left.

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See inside a secret classroom defying Taliban orders

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Hakim runs SRAK, an underground network of schools that provides education to approximately 400 girls in eight Afghan provinces. The network relies on the dedication of 150 courageous teachers and staff members. To ensure their safety, CNN has chosen to withhold Hakim's real name as well as the names of the female teachers and students interviewed for this story.

Broken promises

In the summer of 2021, Hakim was horrified as he witnessed the tanks of the Taliban entering Kabul during the tumultuous final stages of the United States' withdrawal from the country. The group declared its intention to establish a more progressive government compared to its previous fundamentalist rule from 1996 to 2001.

In a subsequent news conference, senior Taliban leaders assured that women and girls would be safeguarded against violence and that education would continue to be accessible for everyone. However, Hakim remained skeptical and dismissed their claims entirely.

Hakim recounted that they repeated the same words, promising to establish an environment in Afghanistan aligned with Sharia law and Islamic values. They assured that girls would continue their education and women would have the opportunity to work and attend university. However, Hakim concluded that these promises were false, convinced that the situation wouldn't change and that girls would never be allowed to go to school again.

The Talibans promises were soon broken. Girls are not allowed to go to school beyond the 6th grade and are barred from attending university.

Girls, faces partially covered, attend class at a hidden school in Afghanistan.

CNN

The all-male government in Afghanistan is systematically removing women from public life. In December, both local and international non-governmental organizations, such as the United Nations, were mandated to prohibit their female staff from attending work. Furthermore, the Taliban's recent decision to close all beauty salons in the country resulted in the unemployment of approximately 60,000 women. The United Nations has labeled these oppressive measures by the Taliban as both "discriminatory and misogynistic" in a report released in June, warning that their regime could potentially constitute "gender apartheid" and a "crime against humanity."

CNN has sought the Taliban's response on the prohibition of educational opportunities for girls and women, but no reply has been received thus far. Hakim, recognizing the persistent cycle of history, arrived at the determination that empowering girls with education was the sole means to resist the Taliban's influence. Drawing inspiration from the courageous Afghan women who defied all odds when the Taliban previously took control over 25 years ago, she embraced their example.

"I was asking myself, what was the young generation doing in 1996 when the Taliban were in power? How were they living?" she said.

Girls are taught tailoring techniques using newspapers at the hidden school in Afghanistan.

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I wanted to scream, but I couldnt

Inspired, in part, by a 1996 Christiane Amanpour documentary titled "Battle for Afghanistan," Hakim decided to create secret schools for a new generation of Afghan girls.

That night, Hakim urgently reached out to her network, seeking assistance. One of the people she contacted was her longtime friend, Maryam.

Hakim expressed the need to establish a safe haven where girls could come together, creating their own indoor community in hidden locations, with a focus on education and personal growth. She reminded Maryam of her abundant resources and requested her support in expanding this venture.

Afghan women wearing a burqa hold placards as they protest for their right to education, in Mazar-i-Sharif on August 12, 2023.

Atef Aryan/AFP/Getty Images

Two years on from Taliban takeover, Afghan women are being 'erased from everything'

While working, my main objective was to save enough money to purchase books, notepads, and any other supplies essential for our clandestine education sessions. Maryam, an experienced educator, expressed her enthusiasm to assist Hakim and her strong desire to overcome the limitations imposed by the Taliban.

Trapped at home and devoid of any opportunities due to the militant group's restrictions on girls' education, Maryam experienced a sense of helplessness, feeling akin to a "zombie." The dire circumstances eventually led to her battle with extreme anxiety and depression. "I longed to release my pent-up emotions through a scream, but I was left powerless. Those were unequivocally the darkest days I've ever faced," she expressed.

As word spread about the school, Maryam noticed an increase in student enrollment. She also observed that girls were eager to attend, seeking refuge from the pressures of their homes.

"Even on government holidays, some girls insist on coming to school, even when there are no teachers available," shared Maryam.

"That shows how desperate they are to escape the stress of sitting at home and thinking about how they are deprived of their rights."

Girls attend class at the hidden school in Afghanistan. Subjects covered include math, science, English and tailoring.

CNN

During CNN's visit to Maryam's covert classroom, approximately 30 girls gathered closely in a cramped space to acquire knowledge in subjects ranging from English and math to science and tailoring.

Maryam exclaimed, "This school is akin to a beacon of hope, it illuminates my path towards happiness and the promising dawn that awaits me."

The UN reports that rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide among women in Afghanistan have been increasing since the groups regained power. It is therefore crucial to have hope that regular schools will eventually reopen, allowing every girl to freely return to school, and granting women the opportunity to go back to their jobs.

It felt like being a prisoner

Maryam had a student named Fatima, who was just 16 years old. Like numerous other girls and women, Fatima experienced profound feelings of depression and anxiety during the period of Taliban-imposed restrictions, which sadly limited their future prospects.

"I believed society was casting me aside," Fatima recounted. "It felt comparable to imprisonment, restricted solely to consuming sustenance without any other freedoms."

"Remaining uneducated and confined within the walls of home holds no potential for triumph," she added. "I aspired to evade burdening my family and society, envisioning an education as my path to realizing my aspirations."

With her family's encouragement, she stumbled upon the clandestine lessons offered by Maryam and other instructors, reigniting her dormant passion for tailoring. Her heart beats for this craft, and she envisions herself blossoming into an acclaimed fashion designer.

"I aspire to be a prominent figure in the eyes of society," she declared. "No longer content to conceal my true identity, I yearn to radiate authenticity and reveal my true self without reservation."

Fatima and Yalda, not their real names, speak to CNN at the hidden school in Afghanistan.

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For Yalda, another student, resuming her education proved to be a lifeline. She had nearly given up on her goal of becoming an engineer.

"It provided a much-needed respite from the overwhelming anxiety and depression that engulfed me while sitting at home," expressed the 14-year-old when discussing the return to school, even in its present constrained manner.

Yalda, Fatima, Maryam, and an immeasurable number of individuals are yearning for a future devoid of the oppressive Taliban regime, diligently getting ready for the moment when they can emerge from the shackles of darkness.

"Even if the Taliban stay seven or eight more years, they will eventually go and then we can go to university and continue our education," Yalda said.

Half a human being

Fawzia Koofi, a champion for women's rights and a trailblazing legislator from Afghanistan during the previous administration supported by the international community, recalls her experience living through a comparable transition of power when the Taliban initially assumed control.

From her place of exile, Koofi asserts that women encountered identical limitations on mobility and education that they presently confront. In 1997, much like Hakim, she established a clandestine school, albeit with a few distinctions.

"It was a consistent group of young girls, around six or seven in total, whom I solely instructed in the subjects of English and science, discreetly avoiding any attention or suspicion from the Taliban," remarked Koofi. "We always had to exercise extreme caution and adopt preventive measures to ensure our concealment and evade discovery."

Fawzia Koofi,a former deputy speaker of the Afghan parliament who now lives in exile, is pictured in London in December 2022.

Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

Accepted into medical school, Koofi found herself confined to her home when the Taliban gained control in 1996.

"The Taliban treated you like a lesser being when you ventured out, commanding you to conceal your face," she expressed. "It wasn't about your abilities or potential contributions to society, but solely about your attire."

Koofi made history in 2005 when she became the first woman elected to the Afghan parliament and later served as the country's inaugural female deputy speaker. Following the Taliban's resurgence in 2021, she fled Afghanistan with the aspiration of eventually going back.

Hope stronger than fear

Upon returning to the secret school, Maryam discovers that the Taliban is conducting door-to-door inspections to uncover any unlawful activities in the neighborhoods, which intensifies her fear of being apprehended. The possibility of an encounter with the militants continues to evoke an overwhelming sense of anxiety within her.

"I constantly feel consumed by fear," she admitted, "yet somehow, I persist with the belief that tomorrow holds the promise of improvement."

"Hope for what lies ahead possesses a potent energy, surpassing the might of fear."

The future is something Fatima also keeps in mind while making her journey to school every morning.

She says she worries that she could be arrested by the Taliban but, to her, its worth the risk.

"If they detain me, I will tell them I just want to be educated," Fatima said. "I dont want to sit at home and that is not a crime."

CNNs Mark Esplin contributed to this report