Afghan women restart medical studies in Scotland after Taliban ban: Video

Masuma Zakii, Zahra Hussaini, and Fariba Asifi are among those set to begin a medical program at Glasgow University, offering them a second chance to pursue their dreams.

These women consider the opportunity a renewed hope for a better future. 

"I'm so happy and glad I can study again because becoming a doctor is my dream," Masuma Zakii who had her education interrupted when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 told the AFP.

Zahra Hussaini, a 20-year-old medical student, expressed how moving to Scotland gave her new hope. "It has given me hope for a better future. I can become a doctor, be financially independent, and serve my family and community to the best of my ability," she said.

Hussaini further aspires to become a surgeon, a role desperately needed in her home country adding that " Because it is a traditional society and generally when a woman is in need of surgery, if the surgeon is male, there is some restrictions from the family that the woman shouldn't be treated by a male surgeon. So I think that becoming a female surgeon in my own country would be, you know, something which can benefit myself and also my society."

The Taliban's return to power brought a rather severe interpretation of Islamic law, restricting women's rights, including education.