Three men on a motorcycle attacked Khatera moments after she finished her day's duty at a police station in Afghanistan. Khatera is a 33-year-old Afghan police officer who was appointed to serve at Ghazni province's crime branch office three months ago. She worked hard to achieve this feat of a financially independent woman for herself. Less did she know that her dream would last for only a few months.
On October 12th, 2020, Khatera woke up in a hospital with no eyesight, multiple bruises on her face and body and a lost job.
“I wish I had served in police at least a year. If this had happened to me after that, it would have been less painful. It happened too soon ... I only got to work and live my dream for three months,” she told Reuters.
She and local authorities blame the attack on Taliban militants and say the assailants acted on a tip-off from her father who was against the idea of Khatera working outside the home. Her father has always objected her decision to work. Khatera was able to join the police force after her marriage and with the support of her husband. Even still, Khatera's father was unhappy with the decision and was often seen following her to her work place. Her father was arrested after the tragic incident, while Taliban denied their involvement.
The women's rights activists believe a mix of Afghanistan’s conservative social norms and an emboldened Taliban gaining influence after the United States withdrew its troops from the country is driving the escalation of crimes against women.
Samira Hamidi, Amnesty International’s Afghanistan campaigner said, "Though the situation for Afghan women in public roles has always been perilous, the recent spike in violence across the country has made matters even worse." She further added, "The great strides made on women’s rights in Afghanistan over more than a decade must not become a casualty of any peace deal with the Taliban."
Khatera and her family, including five children, are now hiding out in Kabul, where she is recovering and mourning the career she lost.
By Prakriti S
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