Around the Table - Hidden but Not Silent: Women in Afghanistan
Join us for another impactful conversation Around the Table, SAT-7 UK’s podcast where voices from the UK, the Middle East, and North Africa come together for honest, faith-filled conversations that go deeper than the headlines.
In this special episode marking International Women’s Day, hosts Sophie Griffith, George Makeen and Martin Thomas are joined by best-selling author Karen Bartlett and distinguished TV producer and director Mikael Tunér. Together, they take part in a powerful and thought-provoking conversation about Afghanistan, exploring vital themes including women’s rights, justice, faith and the role of the media. While the discussion is not always easy, it is both necessary and deeply important — and one we hope you’ll find as insightful as it is compelling.
For many of us, Afghanistan filled the headlines in 2021, with images of chaos, desperation, and departure as Western forces completed their withdrawal from the country. Then, almost as suddenly, it slipped from view; but for the people of Afghanistan, the story didn’t simply end there.
So, in this episode, we take a deeper look at what life has been like since August 2021: the impact on women, on justice, on faith, and on the voices that are still finding ways to be heard, even under extreme pressure.
We would have loved to have included the voices of women from Afghanistan in this episode. Unfortunately, due to security concerns, this wasn’t possible. Instead, we draw on the insights of people who have worked closely with Afghan women and their stories. We hope that Karen’s experience interviewing many of the Afghan women judges for her book Escape from Kabul, combined with Mikael’s heart for women’s programming after growing up in Afghanistan, makes for a compelling and inspiring conversation.
This conversation is not about quick answers or simple conclusions. Rather it’s about listening — to stories of resilience, to the role of media and faith in closed spaces, and to the quiet hope that continues to exist even where freedom is severely restricted.
Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.
Show Note Resources:
SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/
Check out:
Karen Bartlett’s Book: The Escape from Kabul: A True Story of Sisterhood and Defiance
SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/