Meet Nadia Ghulam, the woman who dressed as a boy to survive under Taliban regime

As the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, it took the country back to the dark ages 20 years ago. As evacuations take place and citizens run helter-skelter for safety, the wounds of the Afghans have opened up forcing them to remember the stories and the horror that women had to undergo in the Taliban regime.

One such story belongs to Nadia Ghulam who fooled the Taliban by disguising as a boy for ten years. As she gains fame in international media, her story is one of courage and survival. Nadia was a citizen of Afghanistan and at the time when the Taliban was in power, women were denied the right to study or work. In order to take care of family and household, she used to step out of her house disguising herself as a boy. This was a huge risk because if someone knew about this, she was sure to die. 

Nadia began dressing as a boy from the age of 11 when ideally her family should be protecting her. Nadia got into danger several times but managed to escape every single time. 

It was like Nadia had forgotten that she was a girl when she began dressing up as a boy and this continued for 10 years.  After struggling for 10 years, Nadia managed to get out of the country with the help of an NGO. 

Nadia currently resides in Spain as an Afghan refugee. She has also written a book in collaboration with journalist Agnes Rotger, based on her life, 'El secret del meu turbant' (The Secret of My Turban).