I never thought that women’s rights could be lost so easily

The bullet failed to silence her, and now Malala Yousafzai is lending her voice to the women of Afghanistan.

In just a few years since the Taliban regained control of the country, women’s rights have been suppressed and even singing has been banned.

Malala has a personal history with the Taliban across the border in Pakistan, after a gunman from the Islamist group shot her while sitting on a school bus.

The pace of change in Afghanistan, if not the brutality, has surprised Malala, who since that deadly shooting in 2012, has campaigned for equality.

“I never thought that women’s rights could be affected so easily,” Malala told the BBC Asian Network.

“Many girls find themselves in a hopeless, depressing situation where they can’t see a way out,” said the 27-year-old Nobel Prize winner.

“The future looks very bleak for them.”

In 2021, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, 20 years after a US-led invasion toppled their regime in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in New York.

In the three and a half years since Western forces left the country, “decency laws” have meant that women in Afghanistan have lost a number of rights.

The dress code means they must be fully covered and strict rules prevent them from walking around without a male guardian or making eye contact with a man unless they are related by blood or marriage.

“The restrictions are so extreme that they don’t even make sense to anyone,” said Malala.

The United Nations (UN) says the laws amount to “gender discrimination” – a system where people face economic and social discrimination because of their gender and some of the human rights movement. Amnesty International wants it to be recognized as a crime under international law.

But these laws have been defended by the Taliban, who say they are accepted by Afghan society and that the international community must respect “Islamic laws, customs and values ​​of Muslim societies”.

“Women have lost everything,” said Malala.

“See [the Taliban] know that in order to take away women’s rights, you must start from the foundation, that is education.”

The UN says it has since been taken more than a million girls are out of school in Afghanistan – about 80% – and by 2022 around 100,000 female students will be barred from university studies.

Correlations are also reported between lack of access to education and increased child marriages and maternal and child mortality.

“Afghan women are living in very dark times now,” Malala said.

“But they are showing resistance.”

A Pakistani-born activist, who became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prizeis the executive producer of the upcoming film, Bread & Roses, which chronicles the lives of three Afghan women living under the Taliban regime.

The film follows Zahra, a dentist forced to quit her job, activist Taranom, who flees across the border, and civil servant Sharifa, who has lost her job and independence.

But the film is not just about the stories of three women, said Malala.

“It’s about the 20 million Afghan girls and women whose stories may not make it to our screens.”

Bread & Roses is directed by Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani and US actress Jennifer Lawrence is also brought on board as a producer.

Sahra tells Asian Network that her aim was “to tell the story of a nation under the Taliban dictatorship”.

“Little by little, all the rights have been taken away.”

Sahra was able to flee to Afghanistan after the fall of the US-backed government following the withdrawal of troops in August 2021.

But he kept in touch with the women at home, who would share videos and then collect them and archive them.

“It was very important to find young, modern, educated women with talents who are ready to contribute to society,” said Sahra.

“They were ready to build a country but now they have to stay at home and do almost nothing.”

Although the film has not yet been released, Sahra believes that the situation in Afghanistan is already so bad that it will not be possible if she starts now.

“At that time, women were still able to go out and demonstrate,” he said.

“These days, women are not even allowed to sing… the situation is getting worse.”

Footage showing women protesting – keeping the cameras rolling while being arrested by the Taliban.

And Sahra says this job has become more difficult over time as many of their rights have been taken away.

“We are very happy that these women trust us to discuss their stories,” he said.

“And it was important for us to put their safety on our top priority.

“But when they came out on the street asking for their rights, it wasn’t for a documentary.

“It was for them, their life, their freedom.”

Malala says, for women in Afghanistan, “disrespect is a big challenge”.

“Despite all these challenges, they go out of their way and risk their lives to hope for a better world.”

All three women featured in this film no longer live in Afghanistan and Sahra and Malala hope that this film will raise awareness among women who are still suffering.

“They are doing everything they can to fight for their rights, raise their voices,” said Malala.

“They are taking a big risk. It is our time to be their sisters and be their supporters.”

Malala also hopes that the film will put international pressure on the Taliban to restore women’s rights.

“I was very shocked when I saw the fact that the Taliban is taking over,” he said.

“We really have to ask what kind of programs we have put in place to ensure the protection of women in Afghanistan, but also elsewhere.”

And just as Bread & Roses deals with stories of loss and oppression, the film is about resilience and hope.

“We have a lot to learn from the malice and courage of these Afghan women,” said Malala.

“If they are not afraid, if they do not lose that courage to resist the Taliban, we must learn from them and we must be in solidarity with them.”

The title itself is inspired by an Afghan proverb.

“Bread is a symbol of freedom, earning a living and feeding the family,” said Sahra.

“We have sayings in my language that the one who gives bread is the one who commands.

“So if you get your bread, that means you are your own boss.”

This is exactly the future she hopes to see for the women of Afghanistan and, based on what she has seen, she believes they will eventually achieve.

“Women in Afghanistan, they keep changing tactics,” she says.

“They keep looking for a new way to keep fighting.”

Listen to the extended interview with Malala and Sahra on BBC Asian Network News Presents at 23:00 on 18 November or follow BBC Sounds.

Bread & Roses will be broadcast worldwide on Apple TV+ from 22 November.

Additional reporting by Riyah Collins.

Listen to Ankur Desai’s show on BBC Asian Network live from 15:00-18:00 Monday to Thursday – or listen here.