“Even though they are in darkness, their hearts are full of hope”

This article is part of a series featuring interviews with women’s rights advocates from around the world. They share their personal stories and the successes of women’s rights movements in their countries.

You’re a graffiti artist from Afghanistan. What is the situation like for women in your country? 

I was born in Tehran, Iran, to Afghan parents and lived there as a refugee. After the fall of the Taliban, my family decided to move back to Afghanistan, but the situation was getting worse every day, and many people left their beloved homeland. Today, Afghan women are deprived of their basic human rights. In addition to all the restrictions and problems, I am very worried about the new generation of girls: not having the right to education and freedom has plunged them into a black hole.

How do you advocate for women’s rights? 

As an artist, I may not be able to bring about significant change, but I don’t want to be silent. I want to know that I have done my best. If my work brings even one percent of positive change or a moment of hope to people, then I am working for that one percent and that one moment. My goal is to give my audience a sense of compassion, empathy and hope. Every piece I create, whether it is about women, humanity or people living in war and conflict, is a reminder to the world not to forget. I want to remind of the problems Afghan women face, and that they are fighting with patience and perseverance.

The situation for women in Afghanistan has become terribly worse in the last years. Yet you still paint empowering pictures. What is your message?

I want to be a source of hope for the people of Afghanistan, especially for the women of my country – for those who live in darkness in Afghanistan and those who, like me, live in exile with a heavy heart. I want to convey that, even in the darkest of times, their hearts are full of hope, abilities, dreams and aspirations for the future. Among the bleakness, they envision a bright future.

Shamsia Hassani
is a graffiti artist from Afghanistan.
Shamsia Hassani - Official Website