Since generations, women have carried the weight of struggles, their stories often hidden behind the veils of tradition, poverty, and silence. Many have been married off as young girls, before they can even dream, juggling the burdens of childcare and survival as mothers, and the wife’s enduring harshness in homes where love should flourish. These women live their lives filled with sacrifices, often blamed for circumstances beyond their control, their resilience unrecognized, their voices unheard.
Rizwana, a 28-year-old Afghan woman living in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is the mother of five children. Her childhood abruptly ended when she was married to a much older man, forcing her to transition into adulthood prematurely. At a young age, Rizwana experienced five consecutive pregnancies without any spacing, leaving her dreams of education and play behind.
Adding to her challenges, three of her children had intellectual disabilities. This led to whispers in her community branding her as cursed and unlucky. The weight of financial instability, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, and experiences of physical violence have taken a severe toll on her mental health.
Rizwana’s days were consumed by endless chores, and her nights were filled with a profound loneliness. Cooking, cleaning, and caring for her children became her entire existence, while her husband’s harshness eroded her sense of self. She bore the weight of her struggles in silence, her pain unnoticed and unacknowledged by those around her.
Yet, even in the deepest darkness, a glimmer of hope can emerge. For Rizwana, that hope came in the form of Fatima, a psychologist at one of the UNFPA’s Women and Girls Friendly Spaces in Bannu. Fatima listened, understood, and extended a lifeline of compassion. Under her guidance, Rizwana experienced her first-ever medical checkup—a simple act that rekindled a long-buried sense of self-worth.
That moment marked a turning point in Rizwana’s life. As her mental health improved, she became better equipped to care for her children and manage her household. Empowered by her transformation, Rizwana vowed to share her newfound knowledge within her community, especially with her close relatives. She now advocates against child marriages, highlights the importance of women’s education, and emphasizes the benefits of family planning.
Rizwana regularly attends community sessions and actively contributes to raising awareness, using her own life experiences as powerful examples to inspire change.
She vowed to ensure that no other girl would endure the pain she had faced. Her story is not just a tale of survival but of transformation. It is a reminder that even in the face of overwhelming challenges, a single spark of hope can ignite a revolution. Like the stars that burn from within to light up the night, she has become a beacon, illuminating the path for others to follow.
And as the stars continue to shine in the vast sky above her refugee camp, she carries forward her mission, ensuring that no girl’s light is ever extinguished again.
