By Muzhda Mohammadi
In the cold morning air of Herat, a young woman sits behind the wheel learning to drive on the quiet, secluded roads of the city’s outskirts, out of the Taliban’s sight.
She’s practicing driving with a group of women who aren’t just acquiring a skill. They’re secretly pushing against a cultural taboo and restrictions stopping women from driving imposed by the Taliban.
Feriba*, 19, started teaching women to drive seven months ago. She acknowledges the risks and potential consequences of being punished if discovered – but she’s determined to help women realize their potential.
“My work is secret, and the Taliban are unaware of these classes. I have taken on the risk of holding these sessions, but nothing can diminish my motivation to achieve my dreams,” she says.
According to sources in Herat, the Taliban ceased issuing driver’s licenses to women three years ago.
At the time there were at least four driving schools for women in Herat, and driver’s licenses were available to women without any trouble.
In August 2021 when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, Feriba’s world also collapsed. She was an 11th-grade student and a taekwondo athlete. Then the Taliban instantly issued a ban on high school for girls and girls playing sports.
Becoming homebound, deprived of education and recreation, Feriba began to experience a deep depression.
“When I was deprived of going to school and working, I felt like everything had meaninglessly disappeared. I was upset, severely depressed, and became reclusive,” she says.
“I was always in my room. Those conditions were very hard for me to endure.”
Feriba says that with the support of her family, especially her father, she has managed to overcome depression and self-isolation by taking up driving.
“My father suggested that instead of being depressed and confused because of school and work, it would be better for me to learn how to drive,” she says.
And so, Feriba would leave home each day with her father in the safety of the car as he taught her to drive until she was confident to do it herself.
Spreading the joy of driving
Feriba has now brought the same salve to others. She teaches a theory course of car mechanics and road rules in secret. She says 35 women have already completed her course and now five more.
The women who are learning to drive also see it as a door to potential employment.
“The enthusiasm of Herati women to learn driving is very high,” Feriba says.
However, the endeavor has not been without its challenges.
“Unfortunately, on this difficult path, there are people who do not want to see women’s progress. These individuals inform the Taliban and create problems for us,” she says.
But while she’s received threats, she isn’t giving up.
In her free time, she drives around the streets of Herat and takes her family to various places in their personal car.
However, she says that female drivers are usually stopped by Taliban forces in the city, and they are questioned about their hijab.
“Women and girls in Herat usually wear long chadors and observe the hijab. But from what I’ve seen and heard, several times, my friends and colleagues have been harassed by the Taliban because of their clothing,” she says.
“The main reason for the harassment seems to be women’s appearance. Those who are attractive are immediately stopped, and sometimes, they are even prevented from driving.”
During the Taliban’s rule, Herat is one of the few cities where women can still be seen driving on the streets. But even before the Taliban returned in 2021, it was one of the few provinces where it was more accepted.
In other parts of Afghanistan, most women are still deprived of their basic rights and are not allowed to leave their homes without a male guardian.
Normalizing women behind the wheel
Yaganah Mohammadi, 25, teaches driving and wants the sight of women behind the wheel to be normalized to help “diminish the restrictions on women”.
She had learned to drive and received her license before the Taliban took power. But she isn’t completely at ease – she keeps her car doors locked and never rolls down her windows. She tightens the headscarf around her face.
She says that, regardless of what she’s doing, once she’s stopped behind the wheel, some men will make catcalls, honk their horns for no reason, or cause other forms of harassment.
“I have been harassed multiple times while driving, and I have even gotten into arguments and confrontations with the harassers. At times, when a checkpoint is near, I inform the Taliban officers,” she says.
Image: Rukhshana Media
She says this cultural backwardness has led fewer women in Herat province to sit behind the wheel with many of her friends, who used to drive, stopping out of fear or due to opposition from their families.
Yagana says her family support her driving, which is why she has not stopped despite fear of the Taliban and social harassment.
“Driving is not a difficult task that women and girls cannot manage, and currently, many women own cars. In the absence of driving schools in Herat, I teach driving to women, and they can drive without any problems, even without having a driver’s license.
“While driving, I often encounter the encouragement of Herati women and girls who tell me with a sense of longing, ‘I wish I could drive like you’.
“Sometimes, when I see an elderly woman standing on the street with no rickshaw or other means of transportation available to take her, I let her ride in my car and drop her off wherever she needs to go.”
Laila Habibi*, 28, has been driving for eight years. She records herself driving to work at a Herat media outlet and shares it on social media.
“I believe that showing a woman driving can inspire other women to realize that, yes, a woman can have control over her life and independence. She can drive and pursue the job she desires, and carry it out successfully,” Laila says.
“When I drive, I often face strange looks from people, and in my opinion, this gaze is disturbing for any woman driving in Herat.”
Since it’s no longer possible to women who learn to drive now to get a valid license, there are some risks to being on the road.
Lida* was involved in a traffic incident with a three-wheeler. She says once the other driver tried to blackmail her, knowing that she didn’t have a license.
“He tried to extort 20,000 afghanis (US$285) from me and threatened to contact the Taliban’s Traffic Department. However, after facing resistance from the people, he backed down, and I was forced to pay him 400 afghanis (US$5.50),” she says.
Still, the driving teachers think it’s worth the risk.
Laila encourages women and girls not to make their situation more difficult by staying at home. She urges them to take advantage of every opportunity that reduces the restrictions they face.
“Our presence in society is a sign of our strength. In the current situation, where the restrictions have created concerns for women, we should not make things harder for ourselves by staying at home,” she says.
“Instead, we should focus on our goals so that we don’t miss out on opportunities for progress. In my opinion, even a small effort can motivate us to work harder and create a better future for ourselves.”
Note*: Names are changed due to security reasons.
