Malala speaks out on the plight of Afghan women in the film
Last Updated on November 23, 2024 5:36 am
Malala Yousafzai has spoken out in support of Afghan women as they struggle to survive amid new levels of oppression under the Taliban regime.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pakistani women’s rights activist recently said in an interview with the BBC Asian Network, “I never thought women’s rights would be curtailed so easily!”
Malala expressed her disappointment that many girls are now facing a hopeless situation where they cannot find a way out. The future seems bleak to them.
Two decades after being ousted by US forces after 9/11 in 2001, the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Since regaining power, what the United Nations has called “gender inequality” has emerged in Afghanistan.
Where women are victims of economic and social discrimination. A law passed in August requires women to “keep their voices down” outside the home, just like their mouths and bodies.
A UN report says that more than a million Afghan girls have not been to school since the Taliban took power. That’s about 80 percent of the country’s students.
“These restrictions are extreme, but they don’t make sense to anyone,” Malala said. “Women here have lost everything. They really know that if they want to take away women’s rights, they have to start with education.”
As part of her campaign for Afghan women, Malala served as executive producer of the women-focused documentary film “Bread and Roses” on Apple TV Plus. The film tells the story of the oppression and struggle of three Afghan women living under Taliban rule.
Among them is Zahra, a dentist who was forced to give up her profession. Taranam is a worker who fled to the border. Sharifa was a government employee who lost both her job and her freedom.
Malala says their stories are realistic portrayals of Afghan women. “This is the story of about 20 million Afghan girls and women who may never be seen on screen,” she says.
Although the women featured in the film do not live in Afghanistan, Malala hopes their stories will touch the hearts of viewers and raise awareness.
The 27-year-old women’s rights activist said, “They have done everything they can to achieve their rights and raise their voices. They have risked a lot and are fighting. Now it is time for us to be their sisters and supporters.”
Bread and Roses is directed by Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani. Along with Malala, American actress Jennifer Lawrence is also involved as a producer.
The film will be available for streaming worldwide from November 22.
Source: The Express Tribune