Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, the level of extremism present in Afghanistan has left women and girls in a state of oppression like never before.
The latest set of “morality laws” have forbidden women from speaking in public.
Just this week, Australia launched an initiative with Canada, Germany and the Netherlands to “formally” condemn the Taliban’s violations of the UN’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
An Afghan refugee, Hanifa is a woman who escaped her home country in 2021 on a military plane that “felt like the longest flight” of her life. Now, she’s running a marathon for the women and girls in her home country who no longer have the same opportunities.
“I’m running for the women and girls back in Afghanistan who can’t – my mother and sister, and all the others who are forbidden from participating in sports under the Taliban,” said Hanifa. “And for all the women and refugees around the world who may feel powerless or discouraged.”
“I want to show them that we can stay strong, even when we’re far from home.”
Hanifa’s story
Born in Afghanistan, Hanifa and her family fled to Pakistan in 2004, escaping the rise of the Taliban.
Growing up as a refugee in Pakistan, Hanifa found unconventional ways to be active and participate in sports amid the challenges present for her, such as lack of access to education and freedom of movement.
Her family returned to Kabul in Afghanistan when Hanifa was in the 9th grade. This is when she first discovered Free to Run, an organisation running programs designed to provide women and girls with the opportunity to run and exercise their human rights.
“We made commitments and dreams together– about running, about life,” said Hanifa. “Free to Run taught me how to make a commitment and stay committed.”
When Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, Hanifa’s name was added to an evacuation list thanks to her peacebuilding work and involvement with the Afghan National Snowboarding Team.
In her rush to the airport, Hanifa said goodbye to her mother and hadn’t had time to say goodbye to her father, who wasn’t home at the time. Her heartbreaking departure was also met with a chaotic scene at the airport as crowds pushed against each other, gunshots rang out, and she said there was an overwhelming uncertainty of whether she would survive.
“We spent the night outside the airport, and the next day was even more terrifying. Just after we managed to get inside, an explosion went off near where we had been. People were killed. It could have been us.”
Her flight was a gruelling 5 hours, packed tightly with other evacuees who were sitting on the ground with no toilets and crying babies. Hanifa said “it fel like the longest flight of my life.”
When it was over, Hanifa had made it to Germany, where she began the process of rebuilding her life in a refugee camp.
Coping by running
Amid the uncertainty and heartbreak of her journey, Hanifa eventually turned to running to help her cope.
While it wasn’t her initial instinct as the pain of leaving home was emotionally and physically exhausting, she says she went to a park nearby one day and just “ran and cried”.
“Something about the running reminded me that no matter how tough things get, they will eventually pass. Running has taught me that even the hardest challenges have an end.”
“Running is more than just a sport for me. It gives me a sense of control and peace.”
Running for a cause
Now, Hanifa is preparing to lace up her running shoes to tackle the Berlin Marathon this weekend. Her goal is to finish the race in under five hours while raising awareness for the Afghan women and girls who’ve been stripped of their freedoms.
During her training, Hanifa has been creating a running group for other refugee women in Berlin.
“Running helped me, and I want to share that with others who are going through the same struggles of being far from home,” she says.
Hanifa’s life in Berlin is still in transition, but alongside running, she’s focused on learning German and preparing to apply to university, where she hopes to earn an MBA.
Throughout it all, she says that running remains her constant source of strength.
“When I run, I feel connected to the people I’ve left behind, to my friends and family in Afghanistan. It reminds me that no matter where I am, I can still push forward, one step at a time.”
If you’d like to support Hanifa as she takes on the BMW Berlin Marathon on September 29, you can donate and leave her a message on her JustGiving page.