Samir (30), a trans woman, dresses as a woman in private, but presents as a man in public, due to the danger and stigma of being LGBTQI+ in Afghanistan. Kabul, Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban government denies women access to education beyond elementary school, bars them from most work outside the home, and in some regions forbids them from leaving home without a male guardian, or with their face uncovered. The spaces where women once gathered freely – schools, parks, gyms, beauty salons, and offices – are now off limits.
Despite these restrictions, Afghan women find subtle but powerful ways to resist. Their defiance unfolds quietly behind closed doors: in homes, secret classrooms, and in private celebrations.
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