We Are Still Here

by Nahid Shahalimi

A collection of first-hand accounts from courageous Afghan women who refuse to be silenced in the face of the Taliban. After decades of significant progress, the prospects of women and girls in Afghanistan are once again dependent on radical Islamists who reject gender equality. When the United States announced the end of their twenty-year occupation and the Taliban seized control of the country on August 15, 2021, a steep regression of social, political, and economic freedoms for women in the country began.But just because a brutal regime has taken over doesn't mean Afghan women will stand by while their rights are stripped away. In We Are Still Here, artist and activist Nahid Shahalimi compiles the voices of thirteen powerful, insightful, and influential Afghan women who have worked as politicians, journalists, scientists, filmmakers, artists, coders, musicians, and more. As they reflect on their country's past, stories of their own upbringing and the ways they have been able to empower girls and women over the past two decades emerge. They report on the fear and pain caused by the impending loss of their homeland, but, above all, on what many girls and women in Afghanistan have already freedom, self-determination, and joy.The result is an arresting book that issues an appeal to remember Afghan girls and women and to show solidarity with them. Like us, they have a right to freedom and dignity, and together we must fight for their place in the free world because Afghanistan is only geographically distant. Extremist ideas know no limits.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, Essays, Feminism, Justice

192 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2022

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Are Still Here: The Women of Afghanistan is a critical and timely book. Margaret Atwood penned the forward and Nahid Shahalimi is the editor. It’s filled with the stories of thirteen women who share firsthand experiences with oppression and hate. Eloquently shared. Raw. Empowering. Inspiring. A must read. A must discuss.

About the book: “A collection of first-hand accounts from courageous Afghan women who refuse to be silenced in the face of the Taliban.

After decades of significant progress, the prospects of women and girls in Afghanistan are once again dependent on radical Islamists who reject gender equality. When the United States announced the end of their twenty-year occupation and the Taliban seized control of the country on August 15, 2021, a steep regression of social, political, and economic freedoms for women in the country began.

But just because a brutal regime has taken over doesn't mean Afghan women will stand by while their rights are stripped away. In We Are Still Here, artist and activist Nahid Shahalimi compiles the voices of thirteen powerful, insightful, and influential Afghan women who have worked as politicians, journalists, scientists, filmmakers, artists, coders, musicians, and more. As they reflect on their country's past, stories of their own upbringing and the ways they have been able to empower girls and women over the past two decades emerge. They report on the fear and pain caused by the impending loss of their homeland, but, above all, on what many girls and women in Afghanistan have already lost: freedom, self-determination, and joy.”

Thank you to Plume and Dutton Books for the gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Listen to these women. See them. See their commitment to freedom and their rights. See them in a new light. They are not victims. They never were. They do not need regrets; they need a platform, support, and solidarity."

This is a collection of 13 powerful, raw, emotional, intelligent, and informative stories told by Afghan women who all in some way were affected by the regime in Afghanistan. First-hand experiences shared by these women left me moved and inspired.  I would recommend it to everyone. Especially those readers who want to educate themselves and learn about issues and the lack of human rights women face in Afghanistan.

"My generation helped build a society from the ground up—and now we have lost it all again. However, there must be hope! The situation must not remain like this! We will achieve change again and a civilized society that strives for freedom, justice, and equality."


*thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly powerful book. I've been listening to a lot of books on how people in the past and people in the present are being oppressed, terrorized and murdered by their governments and it's kind of depressing.

But the women in this book, who have contributed essays about their experiences and their hopes and dreams on what Afghanistan can go back to and improve on is inspiring, if daunting.

Fun fact, Margaret Atwood based the conditions of the women in her book The Handmaid's Tale off of what the women in Afghanistan were going through at the time she wrote it. I KNEW when I was reading it that it had to have been based off of real suffering, it was too bleak and real to have been straight from someone's mind who never witnessed or experienced control like that.

So, the cycle of women and their rights in Afghanistan has circled again, with them on the bottom, again.

It's interesting, a few of the women in their essays lay some of the responsibility to fix the problems at the feet of America (can't say that I blame them) and one even said Germany needed to step in (that's something I need to research, because dumb American here, didn't realize they were connected), but most of the essays clearly wanted the Afghan people, especially the women, to step up and claim their rights themselves.

They all had different points of view, but all incredibly interesting. Most seemed to focus on education of females and the arts that are being suppressed, such as art, music, media, movies/entertainment, etc., as well as how women have lost their rights all over again.

Incredibly sad situation, but attention needs to be given to it. If it can happen there, it can happen here and we need to think outside of our borders and give support to those who need it. If we don't help those who need it now, there will be no one left to help us when we need it. And we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

5, be that candle in the dark and help light the other candles around you waiting to be lit, stars.

My thanks to Penguin Books Canada and libro.fm for and advanced copy of the audio book to listen to and review.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories are so inspiring and empowering. This is definetly for you if you want to read about strong women and women's rights. This book really gives these women the recognition they deserve. I think it would be good for a lot of people to read this and to learn about Afghanistan and the current situation women there live in.
I loved how the essays about these women were not too long. They are the perfect length to keep your attention and without repeating itself.
I also realy like the changing of layout throughout the book. Some stories about these women were written in an essay-style, while others were written in more of an interviewstyle.
After a while it felt like the stories weren't new anymore. That is the reason why I decided to rate it 4 stars. It was good but it did not keep me interested throughout the entire book.

[rie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
don’t wanna be too harsh on this book because it was a really thought provoking read for me and i think it would be good for anyone, especially those that label themselves as any serious feminist (we are not free until all of us are free. the illusion of freedom from women of any part of the world can be shattered at any moment unless total liberation is achieved. and liberation for women and what fighting for liberation can look like does not start and end in america) i particularly loved the last chapter by Rada Akbar and hope to do more research into her work.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

[Allison Tinglov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am lucky enough to know hundreds of Afghan women due to my job, and every single one of them is amazing in their own way. Some of those women I know are coworkers that have extensive resumes and accomplishments and some of them are clients I have only heard a few words from as their husband speaks for them. Both types of women are capable and deserving of an education and a voice. With that being said I was really hopeful this book was going to include voices of rural Afghan women or everyday Afghan women working to keep their family afloat. But that’s not what this book was. It was a great way to hear of very very accomplished Afghan women, and they deserve this book too, but I was hoping for more inclusion.

[Juana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and yet completely diverse voices. An urgent call to elevate women’s voices.

[Book Nerds In MN · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Radical ideas know no borders. It is only by telling you about the past, that you can truly comprehend what we once had and what we have repeatedly lost. And now, what we have lost once again with the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021."

"My appeal to you, dear readers of this book, is listen to these women, see them, see their commitment to freedom and to their rights. See them in a new light. they are not victims, they never were. They do not need regrets, they need a platform, support and solidarity. Bring them into your conversations.....Afghanistan's women have proven time and time again how strong, resourceful and resilient, and forward-looking they are. This time we will not be silent, for we are still here."

This was a VERY powerful collab of women and their stories of their grief in what is happening in their country yet again, and their hope for the future.
This is a must-read, I tell anyone and everyone who will listen that they need to read, or even better, get the audio version. Very powerful hearing all of their voices.
It will give you all the feels as well.

"In a country where nearly 70% of the population is age 24 or younger, there's a strong desire fro progress. Keeping a loud and demanding young population in check takes a lot of money and patience, which the Taliban does not have."

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an extraordinary collaboration of powerful stories. As a woman, my heart breaks for these women. It’s a definite must read, regardless of gender.
It was hard to get through at times, not because of quality or dryness but from the heavy topics.

[Margaret Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful perspective from Afghan women in 2021 on what the Taliban takeover will mean to their access to education and careers. This is an important read to understand more deeply what female limitations will mean to all of our futures.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting set of stories about Afghan women in the wake of the Taliban takeover. A really strong indictment of how the west abandoned Afghan women even before the US troops left in 2021

[Corin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book is a good reminder that the women and girls of Afghanistan are just like you and me. I can't imagine how they cope with the severe restrictions on their lives

[Jayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important read.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of first-hand accounts from Afghan women who share their stories. Inspiring and devastating to read.

[Aylin Niazai · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars rounded up.
It’s important to me to keep learning about the situation in Afghanistan 🇦🇫. My husband was born there, most of his family is still there.
Inshallah it will get better eventually.

[Amber Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not say this enough. This book feels like it should be required reading. These women's stories are so important to know, they are doing incredible work and show such love for Afghanistan.

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is from a copy kindly made available by NetGalley.#WeAreStillHere #NetGalley

This book is an homage and a testament to the strength and will of many women around the world. To women that live still under the chains of oppression in any of the multiple forms that it may assume. Each essay and interview is written by an Afghan woman. They reflect on her ties to her motherland, their work, and their meaning to the future of their country.
It obviously centers its content on the contemporary case of Afghanistan, a land that seems so plagued by the guise of good intentions as by war.

What the world did was try to show Afghans how to live. That was not necessary and never had been. Westerners, myself included in the early years, thought we were showing Afghanistan democracy. We thought we were bringing Afghanistan ideas on how to include women as leaders in society. This is nonsense that we believed was necessary because we only had a view from the outside. But Afghans have had women in leadership throughout history. Afghans simply needed to trust that the space was safe, not to be told how to live. And they can only trust the space if it is their own. (Mina Sharif, p. 96)

These texts leave behind several sour thoughts.

Firstly how disconnected the Western world is from relatives that do not fit within their perception of how things ought to function. Yes, Afghanistan has had its issues when it comes to men's and women's rights, but this is due to an extremist faction of the population. This group's influence on the rest of society has more to do with their violent and oppressive methods than with their ideology. As pointed out by the writers of this book, they have lived in peace at several points in history and were, even more, open up to the outside in the last 20 years. By allowing the Taliban to conquer the government, the West also allows all of this progress and the richness of the Afghan culture to be jeopardized.

Secondly, how we, as Europeans and Americans, are free to "switch off" from what is going on in Afghanistan. From last year to the week that marked one year of the Taliban invasion, few news outlets have taken the time to delve into what is happening, and how the Afghan people are holding up unless some big event occurs. But Afghan women Are Still Here. They Are Still Here to remind us of how brave they are and how they will keep fighting for their rights until their voices are heard.

[Bjennas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten stars. Beyond Enlightening. I appreciate all of the sacrifice to write for, edit and publish this book when all of these women could have been killed for this “outspokenness”. I will not forget these women.

[Barbara Burd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nahid Shahalimi has collected interviews from women who led in the women's rights movement in Afghanistan. From artists to journalists to government and NGO leaders, each woman has a unique story of courage and resilience but also a similar experience of frustration. Many of the women left Afghanistan in their childhood but returned as young adults when the Taliban lost power. They experienced years of growth and progress as Afghanistan was being transformed into a country that acknowledged the need for education for women and the contributions that women could make across the country. However, that all changed when the United States left Afghanistan and returned the Taliban to power. Many of these women were then forced to leave Afghanistan once more as their lives were in danger.
The stories are inspirational in that they show the strength and courage of women, but it is also heartbreaking that many of the achievements have now been wiped away by the new Taliban government. The women in this book believe that the situation may change once more if the international community, and especially the US and the United Nations, will speak out against the abuses of women.
Recommended for anyone concerned about women's rights and who want to gain a perspective on the history of Afghanistan and how women have fought and struggled to achieve recognition in a society that is totally repressed.

[Daniel Winnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m amazed at the breadth, depth, and urgency of this collection of essays by and interviews with leading Afghan women in the fields of nonprofit work, government/politics, the arts, education, and journalism. Even more incredible is that its original German edition was assembled—from start to finish—in merely two months! What an achievement. (And it’s as polished as books that had much longer gestation periods.)

I can only state, personally, that as of reading this book in January 2023, I had not thought about Afghanistan in months, maybe even in a year or more. That is my privilege, I suppose, and a sign of a limited attention span. (Doubtless, most Americans know much more about what’s happening in Ukraine now than in Afghanistan, though both are crises for their respective populations, and in particular, women.)

This book is a great platform for women who are already—and some at great risk—making their voices heard. I commend them, I admire them, and I will look for ways to better support them. The re-taking of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021 is a tragedy for the people of that country, but if these writers can maintain hope (and resolve), then we can, too.

[Rachel Cottam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sobering practice in not just walking in someone’s shoes, but believing her stories. The essay format was lovely. I felt like I got to know each woman individually.

Sometimes I question myself for spending so much time “fighting for” gender equality when I enjoy so many rights. But here is an example of a modern-day country that was making progress in educating and elevating women and then violently went backwards when new leaders took government power. Even in the U.S., women have only had the right to vote for 100 years. We have centuries of oppression in our history that we have not escaped. For women here and across the globe, we must share our lived experiences. What a gift to read these stories of courage.

[LauraJeanHall · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the plight of women in Afghanistan today (2021-2022), these essays and speeches will provide some good information. The only drawback to this is the representation that the last essay made clear, these are the voices of the survivors. These are the voices of the educated women with the means, opportunity and courage to speak up. The women in the villages cannot be represented - they have not been educated and do not have the means and opportunity to write or to tell you — or to ask for help. We can only pray for them.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt the spectrum of emotions. My heart breaks for these women. It was an interesting experience to reflect upon how i considered our involvement with Afghanistan 20 years ago as a freshman in college and how I consider our lack of involvement now, as a grown women and mother of two daughters. It’s so different. While I was effected by this book and these womens stories, I feel a sense of disillusionment that I didn’t have 20 years ago. I am choosing to hold on to hope that even a average, middle aged women across the globe can contribute to change.

[Saima · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an comparatively short book but the stories these women carry are anything but. Its easy to champion human rights and liberation from the comfort of one's home. The worst flak we get is trolls on social media but these women have lived through the nightmare of the cold War, civil war, war on terror and back into the tyranny of the taliban rule. They have battled regimes in big and small steps, received death threats, been exiled by choice or necessity and stood defiant in face of theological brutality. They're the real heroes

[Mounizha Zainullah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admire Nahid Shahalimi for giving a platform to Afghan women. Even though, the book was not to my expectations, Nahid explanation made sense. As the book was published in less than 2 months to make sure the urgency of the topic was not lost. I hope to see more work like this from her. It is easy to forget the status of Afghan woman’s lives, while I enjoy everyday life privileges. I particularly enjoyed the section for Mina Sharif and Hila Limar.

[Alle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 10 interviews of Afghan women reflecting on the countries recent history and society. One woman in particular framed it best, Afghan women are not to be viewed as solely victims. They are independently thinking, productive, resilient members of society who do not need pity, but safety to exercise their innate personalities, contributions and abilities.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. One of my best reads of the year that showcases the bravery of many Afghan women. An excellent book that truly captures the plight and the fight of Afghan women in order to keep their autonomy as females and people under the brutal Taliban regime.

[Cesar F · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great effort to give a voice to a country going through a nightmare