Afghan student finds safety and second chance at education at U of R

REGINA — After narrowly escaping deportation to Afghanistan, where the Taliban has barred women from higher education, Spogmai Hashemi says arriving in Canada has been nothing short of life-changing.

Hashemi grew up in Afghanistan and was studying at the American University of Afghanistan in 2021 when everything changed after the Taliban takeover. Among many other rules limiting people’s rights and freedoms, the militant political movement restricts women from pursuing post-secondary or higher education.

“For almost one and a half years, I wasn't able to make it out of my home,” said Hashemi.

Despite this, Hashemi continued her studies online until she and other Afghan women fled to Qatar.

“[This] happened through co-operation between our university and Qatar Foundation, so they jointl