Featured Writings from Our Partners

“The Bird Who Learned to Sing Without Sound”

In “The Bird Who Learned to Sing Without Sound” by Nazanin R, an EmpowerHer student, the writer uses allegory to explore silence, repression, and quiet resistance. Through the story of a bird that learns to express itself without sound, the piece reflects how muted voices can still create impact, showing that even restrained expression can carry meaning, influence others, and become a form of survival and defiance.

“A Girl Made of Hope”

In “A Girl Made of Hope” by S.R., an EmpowerHer student, the writer tells the true story of Leila, an Afghan woman forced to flee her home to escape an imposed marriage and growing repression. Through quiet, powerful narration, the piece explores consent, displacement, and survival, showing how hope can exist not as safety or certainty, but as the courage to keep moving forward when everything familiar becomes a threat.

“Me and a Memory”

In “Me and a Memory” by Zainab H, an EmpowerHer student, the writer reflects on a childhood memory centered around her brother’s bicycle and a lasting scar on her forehead. Through vivid storytelling, she captures innocence, joy, pain, and the quiet influence of patriarchal expectations, showing how a small personal memory can hold deeper truths about family, protection, and silence.

“Why is writing a powerful way to protest?”

In “Why Is Writing a Powerful Way to Protest?” by Zainab H, an EmpowerHer student, the writer explains how writing becomes a form of resistance when speech is restricted. She shows how written words preserve truth, turn personal pain into collective voice, and contribute to lasting social change, emphasizing writing as a powerful refusal of silence in the face of injustice.

“Silence in Herat and Kabul: A Story of Change, Fear, and Hope”

A powerful reflection on the realities faced by Afghan women and girls under increasing restrictions. Through a personal lens, this piece captures the fear, silence, and uncertainty experienced in Kabul and Herat while highlighting the resilience, courage, and enduring hope of those who continue to dream despite oppression.

“Women, Life, Freedom: The Fight for Human Rights Under Taliban Rule”

This article documents the Taliban's escalating restrictions on women in Herat through firsthand accounts from EmpowerHer students, reports of protests and violence, and the lived experiences of Afghan women facing fear, uncertainty, and repression. It highlights the resilience of Afghan women while calling for sustained international support, advocacy, and access to education and opportunity.

“How Education and Art Empower Afghan Girls”

In this piece, EmpowerHer Creative Arts Workshop mentor and Afghan student-artist Sabira Hussaini reflects on how education and art empower Afghan girls. Through her painting Omulbanin: The Girl Who Dreamed of Harvard and her work with EmpowerHer, she honors lost dreams while inspiring girls to believe in their power to create change.

“Leading with Resilience: My Journey as an Afghan Student and Advocate”