Letters from Afghanistan: 'Women have been deprived of colour and sentenced to black'

Afghan university tutor Aliya Kazimy says the "right to choose how you dress is a basic right".

She has written to fashion icon Halima Aden, the first hijab-wearing supermodel, as part of the BBC 100 Women ‘Letters from Afghanistan’ series. She shares how it feels to no longer be able to express yourself through your choice of clothes.

Aden, who grew up as a refugee, writes back with a message to the women who have seen their liberties curtailed. 'Women should be able to wear what they choose,' she says.

Aliya Kazimy and Halima Aden are both on the BBC’s 100 Women list for 2021.

Video produced by Rebecca Thorn, with animations by James Mobbs and illustrations by Jilla Dastmalchi. ‘Letters from Afghanistan’ is a BBC 100 Women series, produced by Georgina Pearce, Lara Owen, Kawoon Khamoosh, Zuhal Ahad. Edited by Valeria Perasso.

7 December 2021