Parvana's Journey

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Presentation: Women’s Freedoms in Afghanistan through the Decades”

In this activity, students will research women’s freedoms in a specific period in Afghanistan’s history to share in a presentation with the class.

Prior to the Taliban’s rule in the late 20th century, women enjoyed a variety of freedoms under different governments. Working in small groups, select one of the following periods in 20th/21st century Afghanistan and research women’s rights during that time: Independence to pre-USSR rule (1933-1979); USSR-occupation (1979-1992); First Taliban rule (1996-2001); US Invasion/Ousting of Taliban (2001-August 2021); and Second Taliban Rule (August 2021-present day). Use the following questions to guide your research:

• Who was the ruling political party/government at the time? What did this political party believe was best for the future of Afghanistan?
• What were some policies passed about women during this political era? Were women allowed to vote, attend school, work, or choose their own clothing?
• What was the reaction of women in this era? Were they happy with the laws of this political era? Why or why not?

If possible, include photographs in your presentation. After the presentations, identify and discuss the major changes that women experienced in 20th/21st century Afghanistan.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity provides an opportunity for students to use their research and presentation skills and learn more about the evolving status of women’s rights and freedoms in Afghanistan. Students may be surprised to learn that before the Taliban rule in the late 20th century, Women in Afghanistan enjoyed many of the same freedoms and rights as women in Western countries. Ellis briefly highlights this theme when she references Parvana’s mother’s previous work writing for a magazine. Use this activity as an opportunity to assess students’ research and presentation skills, providing them with grading criteria or a rubric before their presentations. For more information on women’s freedoms in Afghanistan, please visit “A Timeline of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For more advanced classes, this activity may be extended to a research paper, where students work in small groups to research, draft, and write their paper.