Written by By Shogofa Alizada
They expect us to be “good” daughters and wives,
But they don’t know
How much it hurts to not be true to yourself.
Or maybe, they ignore this truth.
Obedient, dependent, and uneducated;
This is what they wanted me to be.
I remember when I was sixteen,
Madar jan came into my room, crying.
She told me I was going to get married
T a man my grandfather’s age.
I was in shock and disbelief.
I begged her to change this harsh reality.
I was born to inspire,
To empower,
To break the barriers,
To raise my voice,
Not to get married at sixteen.
They shut my voice and ignored my story,
But I never gave up.
I told them I’d never submit to the husband they’d chosen.
I told them I’d fight till the day I get my rights.
I freed myself and
I rose up from the horizon, shinning like a diamond.
Feature image from protest against violence against women in Kabul, Afghanistan.