BAHARAN LAHIB

Afghanistan – In one corner of the Afghan province of Bamyan, a simple dirt park draws attention, in a scene reflecting an aspect of the reality of residents living amid poverty, unemployment, and lack of resources. Despite the touristic and natural landmarks the province abounds with, foremost among them the Band-e-Amir lakes that visitors come to from various parts of Afghanistan and even from outside it, the suffering of the province's residents continues, under difficult economic conditions and a clear lack of basic services.

Despite the large revenues that Bamyan province generates, the road leading to it is still dirt and rugged, at a time when the area's residents live in harsh economic conditions, and are among the poorest groups in it.

In residential neighborhoods, some simple parks have been established that families frequent to provide a recreational space for their children, even if their games and capabilities are limited.

But these recreational spaces are not free of the restrictions imposed on residents. As is the case throughout Afghanistan, daily life has become more difficult under Taliban rule, especially for women, who face continuous restrictions that have deprived them of many of their basic rights.

Our agency also visited this park, where the place was crowded with women, men, and children, at a time when some children's games had recently arrived at the park and were installed to provide a recreational space for them.

Our agency spoke with Jamila Wasal, who went to the park accompanied by her young child. She is a mother of a daughter and a son, while her husband works in one of the offices in the capital, Kabul. Alongside her work in carpet weaving, she takes care of her children with the help of her mother-in-law. She had completed her higher education before the Taliban returned to power in 2021, like millions of Afghan women.

She says: "I come every evening to this park to relieve myself of the fatigue of housework, childcare, and carpet weaving. I also want to give my children a chance to spend some time playing and having fun."

She adds: "A few days ago, I came to the park accompanied by my two children, and my mother-in-law was with me too. At the entrance to the park, a number of Promotion of Virtue elements were there, and they tried to prevent women from entering, but they did not comply with their instructions, and they were ultimately able to enter the park despite them."

She notes that "all the women entered the park accompanied by their children, and we spent hours there. After that, in protest against what happened, they no longer repeated preventing women from entering the park, but they come from time to time to monitor visitors and scrutinize women's clothing."

Jamila Wasal concludes her interview, saying: "The women of Afghanistan will not surrender to the Taliban's demands. We take advantage of every opportunity available to us to resist these restrictions, and we hope that a day will come when women can assume leadership positions in our society."