Defying Taliban, Afghan woman hides 'lab' at home, earns IIT degree

Virginia Woolf, the famous 20th century English writer, stated in one of her extended essays titled ‘A Room of One’s Own,’ that “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Throughout history, women have contributed greatly to society in all areas. Many female authors wrote under alternate male pseudonyms or chose to publish using various pen names. A variety of reasons contributed to the cause but the one that overshadowed all was the male gaze. For many, it was not easy to break free from preconceived gendered norms, yet they persisted in expressing themselves in different ways. In a similar set of events, away from the Taliban’s intriguing eyes, Afghan woman Behishta Khairuddin chose to study in a small science lab of her own.

Behishta’s Journey

In 2021, Behishta, 26, set about educating herself, not outside the country but within her home. As the Taliban tightened their grip on Afghanistan, preventing women from pursuing education, Behishta forged ahead with her passion for chemical engineering. She is among hundreds of students from the top institute in India, IIT-Madras, who have cleared their post-graduation programmes this year. “I don’t feel any regret. If you stop me, I will find another way. I feel sorry for you Taliban because you have the power, you have everything, but you are not using that. It’s you who should be sorry, not me,” she told The Times of India over the phone.

She added in the interview that she did not receive any response from ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations, which provides scholarships to Afghanistan students). Moreover, the Council also deactivated her portal account. It was then that Behishta Khairudddin connected with a IIT Madras professor, Raghunathan Rengasamy.

Hurdles encountered by Behishta

Despite an unstable Wi-Fi connection, fear of Taliban and no proper equipment, Behishta enrolled herself at IIT-Madras, one of India’s most prestigious institutes. Due to diplomatic fall out, her geographical location kept her in the north of Afghanistan, far from the halls of academia to study for her master’s degree. Despite the obstacles, Behishta transformed her home into a secret laboratory. In pursuit of knowledge, she conducted experiments with borrowed beakers and microwave ovens from her sister. Her education was furthered by using everything at her disposal for two years in solitude.

The youngest of all the siblings, Behishta Khairuddin has received immense support from her family. Her goal is to bridge the education gap in Afghanistan. Academics are more appealing to her than industrial jobs. As a result of her accomplishments, she now stands among hundreds of students who have successfully completed their post-graduation programme.

Taliban’s return in Afghanistan has already led to the exclusion of girls from secondary schools and ban on women attending universities, according to a BBC report. It is a remarkable achievement for a woman in a country where such dreams are becoming increasingly rare.

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