What is it like being a woman or man in Afghanistan now given the systemic erasure of women from society? What are your family and friends there now telling you? What have been your experiences?

“You’ve hit on an incredibly painful but profound reality. When you ask how it feels to be stopped in your tracks by gender apartheid—it is a grief that is hard to put into words. It feels like having your future, your autonomy, and your basic human rights stripped away overnight. For the women you are working with, a lack of literacy isn’t just an educational hurdle; it is the physical footprint of decades of systematic isolation and conflict. When you are denied the right to look at a sign, read a document, or speak for yourself, your world becomes incredibly small and dependent on others.

As an Afghan woman living and working here in Washington myself, I know firsthand how much courage it takes to rebuild. Moving here and navigating a completely new society is overwhelming for anyone, but doing it while starting from absolute zero with literacy requires an unimaginable amount of resilience.

I love that your program focuses on functional literacy and confidence. True independence and self-reliance are exactly what was taken from these ladies, so giving them the tools to navigate daily life independently is the greatest gift you can give them

But there is another layer to this tragedy that people rarely talk about: this situation is not only devastating for women, it is a human tragedy that destroys men and entire families, too.

Can you imagine the crushing weight on an Afghan man’s shoulders right now? Because the regime has stripped women of their independence, a husband, father, or brother is suddenly forced to carry the entire world alone. He has to take care of absolutely everything. His wife cannot even go to the market for basic shopping or step outside for fresh air without a male chaperone because it is banned by the government.

It is incredibly sad and disappointing. It places an unimaginable psychological and financial burden on men, who must watch the women they love be diminished, while simultaneously bearing 100% of the pressure to provide, protect, and navigate survival in a collapsed economy. It creates a suffocating environment for everyone involved.”