Malala film highlights plight of Afghan women

As women in Afghanistan continue to exist in the grip of new levels of oppression under Taliban rule, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousufzai lent her voice as support in a recent interview on BBC Asian Network.

"I never imagined that the rights of women would be compromised so easily," said Malala. "A lot of girls are finding themselves in a very hopeless, depressing situation where they do not see any way out. The future looks very dark to them."

The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021 after being toppled by US forces in the wake of 9/11 in 2001. The regain of power has resulted in what the UN has termed "gender apartheid", with women facing economic and social discrimination. As per a ruling that landed in August, women's voices should be "covered" outside their homes in addition to their faces and bodies. In addition, a UN report shows since the Taliban takeover, more than a million girls are not in school in Afghanistan – about 80 per cent.

"The restrictions are just so extreme that it does not even make sense to anybody," lamented Malala. "Women lost everything. They [the Taliban] know that to take away women's rights you have to start with the foundation, and that is education."

In a bid to campaign for Afghan women, Malala served as an executive producer on the Apple TV+ women-oriented documentary Bread & Roses. The film, which explores themes of oppression and resilience, showcases the lives of three Afghan women living under the Taliban regime. Zahra is a dentist forced to give up her practice. Taranom is an activist who flees to the border. Sharifa, a government employee, loses her job and her independence. Their stories, Malala noted, are an accurate representation of what life is like as a woman oppressed by the Taliban.

"It's about the 20 million Afghan girls and women whose stories may not make it to our screens," maintained Malala.

The women in the film are no longer living in Afghanistan, but Malala hopes their stories will resonate with audiences and spike awareness. "They are doing all that they can to fight for their rights, to raise their voices," she stressed. "They're putting so much at risk. It's our time to be their sisters and be their supporters."

Bread & Roses is directed by Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani. Along with Malala, US actor Jennifer Lawrence was also brought on board as a producer. The film will be available to stream globally from November 22.