In a small, dimly lit room in Afghanistan, Khawar begins her day at 4 a.m. with prayers, followed by a long list of household chores. Just three years ago, she was preparing to enter medical school with dreams of becoming a cardiologist. But those dreams were shattered when the Taliban seized power in Kabul, imposing the world’s only ban on educating girls over the age of 12.

Now 22, Khawar studies health sciences in secret through the University of the People, a U.S.-based online university that offers free education to refugees and women like her. "My normal days are so different than they were before. I hope that one day everything will change," Khawar shared, using an alias for safety reasons.

Khawar is not alone in her silent rebellion against the Taliban’s oppressive regime. Across Afghanistan, a secret network of educators is working tirelessly to provide education to teenage girls and women who are all but confined to their homes. Lessons are conducted in hidden locations, online, and even through radio and television broadcasts. These initiatives, run by various organizations and individuals, aim to reach as many Afghan girls and women as possible.

One such initiative was started by Erfanullah Abidi, a former government employee who fled Afghanistan during the chaotic evacuation of August 2021. Frustrated by the lack of progress in reopening schools for girls, Abidi recruited teachers and began holding secret classes in February 2023. "It’s a face-to-face class, but each student [is] representing a group of four or five other students that we think should not attend due to security concerns," Abidi explained.

The secret classes offer more than just education—they are a beacon of hope for the students. "This is a hope center. This is a resilience center. This is a place where they see their future, or where they shape or form their future," Abidi said. The Taliban’s strategy, he believes, is to keep women uneducated so they can easily manipulate future generations.

According to UNESCO, three years after the Taliban's takeover, 1.4 million girls are being deliberately deprived of a secondary school education. The number of primary school students is also dwindling due to a shortage of male teachers and economic pressures on families, forcing children into labor instead of classrooms.

In response to these challenges, the Begum Organization for Women (BOW) has launched an initiative to reach girls and women inside their homes through radio, online, and television lessons. Afghan entrepreneur Hamida Aman founded BOW in 2020 to defend the rights of Afghan women, and it has since grown into a lifeline for many. From Kabul, Radio Begum broadcasts six hours of daily lessons, along with health, psychology, and spiritual programs for women across most of Afghanistan.

"Our radio station is not tolerated in some provinces in the south, because they are very, very conservative. They even don’t want to hear women’s voices on the radio," Aman said. Despite these challenges, the station receives daily calls from women seeking advice on how to cope with life under the Taliban's rule.

Begum TV, another arm of the organization, offers online lessons filmed in Paris and presented by women for women—a format forbidden under Taliban rule. Aman revealed plans to expand programming to include more light entertainment, responding to requests from their audience for something to lift their spirits amid the grim reality.

The School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), offers another ray of hope. Founded by Shabana Basij-Rasik, SOLA relocated its students to Rwanda in August 2021. The school now runs an online version, SOLAx, which delivers a revamped Afghan curriculum to around 8,000 students across 41 countries, with 89% of them still residing in Afghanistan.

"WhatsApp is the best way to reach these girls," said SOLAx co-founder Mati Amin. "And we see the traction when we get students coming back, requesting up to over 1,000 lessons in recent days." The program aims to cover the full Afghan curriculum for grades 7 to 12, with an emphasis on critical thinking.

For Khawar, the journey is far from over. She no longer speaks to her old school friends, most of whom have left Afghanistan. While she continues to study in secret, she knows that even if she earns her degree, the Taliban's restrictions will likely prevent her from working in Kabul. But despite the obstacles, she remains determined. "I wish [the Taliban] could experience the effort I’ve put in, studying day and night, dedicating my life to this," Khawar said. "They may never understand us now, but one day, they will regret it."

The determination and resilience of these Afghan women and girls represent a silent revolution—one that is quietly shaping the future of a country still grappling with the harsh realities of Taliban rule.

-BBC