Women from Afghanistan shared their stories of their lives under the Taliban rule and participated in a new exhibition.
The windows of the Afghan soul were launched on Friday at the Jerwood Dancehouse in Ipswich and will be on display for four weeks.
Last year, the project team created a safe platform for women still in Afghanistan and those who left to share life stories before and after the Taliban
Nageena, 17, who fled Afghanistan and moved to the UK three years ago, worked on the project and said she missed her home.
The exhibition includes artworks made by people who still live in Afghanistan [Aziza]
The Taliban is a tough Islamic group that controlled Afghanistan in 2021, under which women and girls are subject to strict and oppressive laws.
The day the group took over, Nagina and her family fled Afghanistan, which she said was a “very bad day.”
She still has family there and says her female relatives, over 12, were banned from school due to a Taliban ban.
She stressed the importance of education and said “not just what boys and men can do.”
Now living in Suffolk, Nagina is studying a college hairdressing program, but admits she still considered her home.
She continued: “I miss my country because it’s my home, but I can’t go home.”
“I feel so sad inside when I think about my country, which is very sad for us.”
She said the exhibition made her feel brave and capable.
Hannah Aria said the exhibition is about “using art for social justice and human rights advocacy” [Jamie Niblock/BBC]
Hannah Aria is a local artist who helped showcase the exhibition.
“I started working with the refugees in Ipswich,” she explained.
“As you connect more with people, you’ll connect with the story and then you want to do something positive to help.”
She was introduced to Afghan connections and through them she met other people who shared their stories.
Ms. Aria said the exhibition uses virtual reality and augmented reality to tell the story of “people from Afghanistan in amazing game formats.”
She added that the exhibition aims to apply for more funding to further expand and tell more stories in the future.
“We want to change the world,” she said.
Rona Panjsheri says it is important to share stories about Afghan women and girls [Jamie Niblock/BBC]
Rona Panjsheri from Afghanistan also worked on the project and said she was excited about talking about women in Afghanistan.
“It’s so sad to talk about them, all the negative things, [but] What I'm really proud of is some positive things [for],” she explained.
“They stand up and they still have a little hope after Afghanistan falls into the hands of the Taliban.
“We hope that one day they are free and we talk more positive about Afghan women and girls.”
She added that women and girls in Afghanistan have “no freedom of speech” and that “continue to tell stories” is important.
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