Reflections from a former Afghan soccer player — Assembly

Kawser Amine writes about her fight to learn and play soccer.

I grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan. In my community, people didn’t always celebrate daughters; some families even committed violence against a woman when she gave birth to a baby girl. The gender discrimination started right from the beginning.

But my father felt happy when my mother gave birth to a girl. He and my mother believed in me and my sisters, and they protected us from the discriminatory mindset some people in Afghanistan held. My mother always dreamed of having educated children and encouraged my father to support our education — which he did. My relatives didn’t agree with her. They thought that education was unnecessary for girls because we needed to marry young.

It’s not easy going to school in an environment like that. But unlike many of my peers, I was able to graduate from high school in 2010. I then went on to study political science at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), although the 2016 attack on my university interrupted my studies.

“From an early age, I dreamed of becoming a famous soccer star, like Maradona or Messi,” writes Kawser Amine. (Courtesy of Kawser Amine)

Education wasn’t the only thing I had to fight for as a young Afghan woman. I also had to fight for my right to play soccer. From an early age, I dreamed of becoming a famous soccer star, like Maradona or Messi. I used to kick a small ball around in our living room, imagining myself playing professionally. I was good at soccer. In 2007, I was selected to join the Afghanistan women’s national soccer team. It was the greatest honor and best feeling in my life.

However, realizing my ambitions on the field came at a cost. In those days it wasn’t safe for young women to play soccer. It’s hard for me to put into words what a nightmare it was. In 2010 and 2009, there were some cases in Afghanistan when unknown people targeted girls who went to school and threw acid on their faces. Because of attacks like this in public places, I used to hide my soccer uniform while commuting to practice because of the dangers if people found out. It was the worst feeling, not being able to access your rights freely.

Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, Afghan girls across the country have been experiencing this too. They have been kept from the classroom and denied their right to learn. But they’re not staying quiet. They’re fighting for their education, for their dreams, for their rights. Afghan men and boys are joining them. Now, the world’s politicians, human rights defenders and international organizations need to join the Afghan people in calling for an end to the discrimination.

“Education is a matter of life; we need it to live just as much as we need anything else.”

— Kawser Amine

When I think of the young women of Afghanistan now, I am reminded of all the challenges I faced growing up and how they made me feel. That’s why I’ve been speaking out — and will continue speaking out — in support of Afghan girls and their right to learn. Education is a matter of life; we need it to live just as much as we need anything else.

Each one of us has a voice and we must use it to keep the attention on this crisis in Afghanistan and ensure that Afghan girls are getting the support they need. When I think about their unknown future, it breaks my heart — but it does not and will not break my soul. I need that to keep on fighting for the girls of my country.