Skip to main content
Martial arts empowering women in Afghanistan

A YEAR and a half ago, Liqa Esazada for the first time stepped into a martial arts club for women in Kabul, something of a rarity in this still deeply conservative Muslim society.

At the time, she had just accompanied her older sister but was immediately intrigued. The 22-year-old is now one of two dozen Afghan women who find inspiration and empowerment in Japanese jujitsu, a martial arts form that dates back centuries.

They love the sport and dare to dream big, hoping someday to compete on the international level.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
A girl, who was injured in the overnight cross border fighting between Pakistan and Afghan forces, receives treatment at a hospital at Khar, in Bajaur, a district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering with Afghanistan, February 27, 2026
International Women’s Day 2026 / 7 March 2026
7 March 2026

Afghan women living under the Taliban are navigating a system that makes their public existence conditional on male approval, writes SHUKRIA RAHIMI

Northern Ireland's Kristina O'Hara (left) in action against India's MC Mery Kom at Oxenford Studios during day ten of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia
Women’s boxing / 18 July 2025
18 July 2025

Mary Kom’s fists made history in the boxing world. Malak Mesleh’s never got the chance. One story ends in glory, the other in grief — but both highlight the defiance of women who dare to fight, writes JOHN WIGHT

Detroit Prowl's Toya Shinaul, from left to right, Kelly Bernadyn, Sydney Hebel, Jasmine Hamilton and Allie Gorcyca walk out for the coin toss at the start of an AWFL women's football game against the Lansing Legacy, in Allen Park, Mich., Saturday, May 10, 2025
Tackle Football / 24 June 2025
24 June 2025

LARRY LAGE writes about the growth of tackle football and how it provides female athletes opportunities in a game previously dominated by men