Arezo Younes: A voice for the voiceless women of Afghanistan
by MAKAYLA MUSCAT
Almost two decades ago, Arezo Younes was granted refugee status in Australia after escaping the Taliban regime with her mother and three brothers. Since then, she has become a prominent voice for Afghan women around the world and hopes to educate others about the challenges that immigrants face. Today, she is a public figure, women's rights activist, author, and journalism student at Western Sydney University.
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Afghan public figure and women's rights activist Arezo Younes | Photo: supplied
Born in Afghanistan, Arezo’s childhood was ruled by fear and violence. She says that living through the realities of war and civil unrest did not make her fearless – she was always worried about her siblings and her mum.
Her widowed mother worked hard to run a private school in Kabul, but the harsh punishments for educating girls in a country under Taliban rule meant an almost certain death sentence.
Women and girls living under the Taliban's oppressive regime were not allowed to work or to go to school, and Afghanistan had the worst human rights record in the world.
“My father died of cancer when I was one, so mum had to work during the Taliban’s reign to earn money and keep her four children alive," Arezo said.
“I remember when they came into our apartment in Kabul to arrest my mother.
It was a Friday night, and I was getting mum a glass of water after a long day of teaching when they started banging on our door.
After that, my brothers and I were always on alert. We had witnessed so much at such young ages and the Taliban would gaol or even execute women for working."
Shattered and with no choice but to flee, they escaped to Pakistan with expired passports.
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Arezo with her mother, Anisa, as a child in Kabul | Photo: supplied
For thousands of Afghans like Arezo, an Australian visa, and the freedom to pursue her dreams were life changing.
In 2003, Arezo settled in Western Sydney where she finished high school and went on to study tourism and film.
The aspiring TV presenter started volunteering as a radio host at three radio stations in 2007. and began working with a television program for the first time.
"I love Australia. I feel so lucky to be living in a multicultural country where everyone is respected and treated equally," she said.
"Women in Afghanistan are not able to work, study or live normal lives, but Australia has given me everything.
I am studying, working and raising my voice to show what Afghan women are capable of."
In 2013, Arezo entered an abusive marriage that halted her career until she filed for a divorce in 2018. Looking back, she says that marrying young was never her priority because she would have preferred to keep working towards her goals, but everyone was encouraging her to get married and settle down.
"I was never really into marriage, but in our culture, it is everything," Arezo said.
"Mine wasn’t arranged, but it surely wasn’t a love marriage either; I didn’t even know him well.
"As a married woman there were times that I wanted to give up, but my child was the reason I kept going. He saved me from drowning in my own tears.
About 80% of Afghan women experience domestic violence, but some are taking a stand against it. I am one of them.
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Arezo and her son, Armin | Photo: supplied
The pressures of being a public figure and the social media trolling that followed Arezo’s controversial divorce took a toll on her mental health, but despite this, she kept focussed on her goals.
In recent years, Arezo has balanced life as a single mother with rebuilding her career.
In 2019, she wasted no time enrolling in a Bachelor of Communication at Western Sydney University, and soon after, she found herself broadcasting her own show to audiences around the world and on billboards across Afghanistan.
Then, in early 2020, she travelled back to Kabul to fulfill her dream of releasing a poetry book.
Amidst her success, Arezo still says being a mother to her young son, Armin, is her greatest source of joy.
"When I hold Armin in my arms, that is where my happiness starts," she said.
"Becoming a mother taught me what true love really is.
A lot of single mothers reach out and ask me how I stay so strong and happy in life. I tell them to have faith in God, love themselves and hold their heads high."
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One of the billboards promoting Arezo’s show in Kabul City | Photo: supplied
Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 progress has been made to protect the rights of women in Afghanistan, but their return to power in 2021 caused chaos as desperate Afghans tried to escape.
As the nightmare returns to her homeland, Arezo fears that it will once again be as it was when she was a little girl in Kabul – when they closed every door of hope for women throughout Afghanistan.
Watching on from the safety of her apartment in Sydney, she is inspired by the Afghan women who refuse to be silenced by the brutal fundamentalist group.”
"There are thousands and thousands of women like my mother and girls like myself who are struggling and will continue to," Arezo said.
"They have hopes and dreams too, and it breaks my heart to see these innocent people suffering.
The Afghan women protesting on the streets are real life superheroes because they are standing against the Taliban and fighting for their rights."
Arezo says that growing up she noticed how many Afghan women were suffering. Now she hopes to make a difference in their lives and use her voice to fight for the voiceless women in Afghanistan – just like her mum did. ”
"My mother is brave and independent, and I always wanted to follow in her footsteps," she said.
"She is my hero because she stood against the Taliban. She refused to close her private school and kept teaching girls.
She taught me to be kind and make sacrifices. I always wanted to be like her and help those in need."