Voices Beyond Borders

Laila Habibi was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she completed her schooling and graduated from university. She had hoped to continue her education further, but the Taliban's return to power closed many doors for Afghan women, making it impossible for her to pursue further studies in her own country.

She later moved to Canada, where she continued her academic journey by pursuing a higher degree. Now based in Toronto, Laila has remained deeply connected to the experiences of the girls and women she grew up with in Afghanistan. Witnessing the restrictions imposed on their lives, particularly their access to education, strengthened her determination to help their voices reach the world.

As an activist for the rights of Afghan girls and women, Laila initiated Voices Beyond Borders by inviting girls and young women to share their experiences in their own words. As both author and editor, she has helped bring these personal accounts together in an anthology that documents their struggles, hopes, and resilience. Through this work, she seeks to preserve their stories and ensure that their experiences are heard beyond the borders of Afghanistan.

Wahidullah Habibi is an Afghan editor born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Having grown up in Afghanistan and later continued his journey in Germany, he has developed an interest in the stories that connect people across cultures and borders, particularly those whose experiences are often overlooked or unheard.

As the editor of Voices Beyond Borders, Habibi has worked alongside his sister, Laila Habibi, to bring together the experiences and perspectives of Afghan girls and women. The project reflects his belief that personal stories can help people understand realities beyond their own experiences and bring attention to voices that are too often excluded from international conversations.

Through his work on the anthology, Habibi aims to help preserve these accounts with care and respect, allowing the women and girls behind them to speak in their own words. For him, Voices Beyond Borders is an effort to bridge distances between people, challenge silence, and ensure that the experiences of Afghan girls and women are not forgotten.