Afghanistan, Feb. 8 -- Written By: Zahra Rashidi

Mursal, a 27-year-old woman from Mazar-i-Sharif city, lives in its alleys. She sacrificed her life to care for her elderly mother's medical needs by marrying a man 43 years her senior.

As someone who has long described current conditions, I find myself incapable of writing Mursal's narrative. The reality that shapes her life, revolving around compulsion, disability, and perpetual deprivation, is not easy for me. She resides on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif, with her story portraying a blend of coercion, disability, and perpetual deprivation.

Struggling to cope with her mother's illness while her father, a vendor, lacked the funds for her treatment, Mursal heeded the advice of her relat...