You can love me,
You can hate me,
But you can never ignore me,
Because I’ll never be housebound again.
-Benafsha Jahanara
—
When I think about being a woman in this country,
I don’t know where to begin.
From street harassment or gendered discrimination,
Stoning or mutilation.
Despite it all, we, women, still have hopes for life.
We still love, we still spread kindness.
In a place where human lives, beyond men and women,
Have lost their value,
We still fight.
Our will is stronger than our enemies could imagine.
I learned how to fight for life from the women of my country.
– F.S.
—
I will not submit to exhaustion.
I will not become accustomed to sadness.
My heart seeks a window for hope,
Two wings to fly, and a lifetime of freedom.
I want my hours spent awake to be as sweet as my dreams.
A woman shouldn’t have to only dream.
-Sohaila Sediqi
Feature image by Rada Akbar.