KABUL: An Afghan woman has shared a personal account of losing her mother at the age of 18 and the emotional struggles she experienced after her father remarried.
She said the death of her mother meant more than losing a parent. With her mother’s departure, she also lost a part of her sense of security, refuge and childhood. The home that had once represented her mother no longer felt like the same place.
Following her mother’s death, her father remarried so that the family would not be left without a guardian. The woman said she did not want to judge her father’s decision, acknowledging that he may have believed he was making a choice for the wellbeing and future of his family.
However, she said the arrival of another woman in the household marked the beginning of a new period of loneliness for her.
The woman also reflected on the experiences of Afghan girls and women who, she said, sometimes suffer not only at the hands of men but also from other women. She described these experiences as painful wounds that often receive far less attention and remain unspoken within families.
Her account highlights the emotional impact that losing a parent and changes within a family can have on young women.
She said some wounds do not leave visible marks but remain deeply rooted in a person’s memories and sense of belonging. Her story also draws attention to the lesser-discussed experiences of women who face emotional hardship within their own homes.