Afghanistan photo story: Women left behind
The impact of labour migration on the spouses and children of Afghan migrants, who often stay behind in Afghanistan, remains overlooked. Amidst an uncertain future for women’s rights in Afghanistan, women have to take on an unbearable burden and levels of uncertainty affecting their lives and those of their children. Women and children are likely to bear the brunt of political unrest and an economy near collapse. Those who are heading their own households or waiting for their husband’s remittances are either unable to work or unable to access remittances which are a lifeline for them. Women and children already make up 80% of internally displaced persons (IDPs), one of the most vulnerable subgroups of the Afghan population. Under a Taliban-led government, amplifying the voices of the millions of women and children left behind, who were already marginalised before the Taliban’s 2021 offensive, has become even more crucial. As we follow the announcements made by the new government, we reflect on the needs of a specific group of women and children in Afghanistan through our latest fieldwork.
In the spring of 2021, Samuel Hall conducted a qualitative assessment to document the impacts of spousal migration on Afghan wives, to understand their role in migration decision-making process, and to analyse changes to women’s empowerment. At the core of this study were in-depth conversations with almost one hundred wives of labour migrants, supplemented by family tracing interviews with migrant husbands abroad and wives in Afghanistan, focus group discussions, and interviews with key informants. Fieldwork was conducted in nine different areas of Kabul province, where migrant families represent diverse backgrounds, structures, and migration choices.
Our research team took photographs of the shoes of each wife who was interviewed to create a visual record of their stories, while protecting each participant’s identity. With shoes often left at the doorsteps of women’s homes, accompanied by those of their children, these photographs record those who are left behind during spousal migration and those who may continue to be overlooked. Amidst the current uncertainty, ensuring these stories are recorded and amplified is more important than ever.
In the following photographs and excerpts from conversations, we provide an opportunity for the Afghan women who stayed in Kabul province when their husbands had to leave to present themselves, their perceptions, and their questions.
