Suraya risked death to teach girls in secret

MARRIED at 14 and a mother at 15, Suraya Pakzad seemed certain to follow the path of most women in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, facing a future without a vote, a voice or a choice in her destiny.

But Suraya had two advantages — her own plucky spirit and a husband who was far more free-thinking than his peers. In between producing five more children, Suraya was able to keep up her education, graduate from college and get a job at the University of Kabul.

As the Taliban’s grip tightened, however, schooling for girls was banned so Suraya began holding classes in her home, eventually creating a network of secret home schools for 300 girls even though she risked death for defying the law.