They were encouraged to get into politics by Western governments. Now, Afghanistan’s female politicians are enemies of the Taliban. CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault gets an exclusive look at the secret mission to get them to safety in Canada and the surprising political co-operation behind the scenes.
They left their country for the last time in the dark of the early morning. Women and children crammed into a van. Heads covered, their faces masked so they didn’t attract attention at Taliban checkpoints.
Former female politicians in Afghanistan, the women in the vehicle face an extraordinary threat from within their own country. Now that it’s again under Taliban control, women’s rights are dwindling; as recently as August, the regime introduced new rules banning women from showing their bare faces and speaking in public.
“The day which we were waiting for the last one-and-a-half years, today it’s happened,” said Nilofer as she and her …