This article first appeared in our partner site, Independent Persian
In the sweltering heat of Kabul, a group of young women, who have been barred from higher education for the past three years, gather in one of their homes to work on a new project. Calling themselves “Voices of Hope,” the group’s members are former computer science students who refuse to abandon their pursuit of knowledge, despite the Taliban’s sweeping ban on female education.
They are using the internet and artificial intelligence to reconnect with the subject they once studied at university. In a country where even a walk in the park is off limits for them, they have created their own community of learners behind closed doors.
Their education was interrupted in December 2022, when a Taliban ban forced them to abandon their studies. The young women were all in their second semester of computer science studies at a private Afghan university. Initially, they clung to the hope that public outrage and international pressure might prompt the regime to reverse its decision. Instead, the Taliban, who had seized power in 2021, issued even harsher decrees, further tightening restrictions on women and making their lives even more difficult.
Asrar Parsa, the 25-year-old leader of Voices of Hope, told Independent Persian that the university ban caused a wave of despair. But she and 20 of her classmates decided to keep going, turning to online educational resources to continue studying at home.
Since then, the team has taken on several projects in a desire to learn, grow and keep dreams alive. Among the achievements are building two robots from scratch. They cost about 30,000 Afghanis (roughly $430 or £330) to build, paid for by the group members themselves.
Under Taliban rule, women are not allowed to go outside without a male guardian. The team has one male member: Asrar’s 28-year-old brother, Navid Parsa, a computer science graduate who is their link to the outside world. He runs errands for the group and brings in supplies from the city.
The group started off with 20 members. But over time, 14 dropped out due to economic hardship and a growing sense of hopelessness. Asrar explains: “Our goal was to keep the light of hope alive in our hearts, to stay motivated, and to learn about AI. But most of the team became disheartened and gave up.”
However, some chose to stay. Hadiya Ahmadi says she suffered from depression and anxiety after universities shut down. But working on small projects and learning how to use AI with the support of the group helped the 19-year-old feel better.
Over the past two years, the team has used what they learnt in their first year of university and supplemented it with online tutorials. They’ve built two robots and several other devices. One robot can recognise 20 different objects, including humans, and is controlled remotely. The team tested its movement on a kitchen table. It’s powered via radio frequency and Bluetooth and can be operated through four different apps. Asrar says if developed further, it could be used in search and rescue operations after earthquakes or explosions.
The team is also working on building a drone. If successful, they hope it could be used for tasks like collecting rubbish, delivering emergency medicine, or transporting small items across Kabul.
For Asrar, Hadiya, and the rest of the group, tinkering with wires and batteries and listening to online lessons is about more than just robotics or AI. In a time when, under Taliban laws, even a woman’s voice and face are deemed awrah (something to be hidden), these sessions are a way to cope with the mental and emotional toll of their isolation.
Asrar says these gatherings are a way to escape “the pain and grief brought about by their current situation”. The meetings offer hope, she explains:“When we’re together, it feels like not everything is lost. We still have the power to learn and grow.”
Hadiya adds that meeting the group two to three times a week has had a positive impact on her mental well-being. They study AI, build robots, and talk about their hopes for the future. She says she feels better now than she did when her university first closed down: “Seeing the results of our work makes us happy. It makes us feel that our education isn’t over yet and we can still try to reach our goals.”
They draw inspiration from another Afghan robotics team, known as “The Afghan Dreamers”, which was founded in 2017 and gained widespread attention both at home and abroad. Focused on technology, engineering, and robotics, the team became a symbol of talent and hope in the face of social and political restrictions. After the Taliban returned to power and banned education and employment for women and girls, team members left the country and now continue their work in exile.
For Voices of Hope, the Afghan Dreamers serve as an inspiration. But unlike them, Asrar’s team has not yet received any support from external organisations. Despite all the obstacles, they hope to one day showcase their work in international exhibitions, and find opportunities to keep chasing their dreams.
The Taliban have strictly enforced their ban on education for girls over the age of 12, claiming that they are adhering to “Sharia law”. These decrees, especially those denying women access to education and jobs, have drawn widespread international condemnation. But Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has dismissed international pressure as “pointless.”
Over the past four years, Mullah Hibatullah has repeatedly emphasised the importance of “education within the framework of Sharia and Islamic principles”. However, not once has he addressed the topic of education or employment for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Reviewed by Tooba Khokhar
