At the age of six, Rahila came face to face with the reality of being a girl in the Oruzgan district of Afghanistan where she was prohibited from attending school under the extremist rules imposed by the Taliban. Unconvinced, Rahila dressed as a boy to fit in and attend school. This was a turning point in Rahila’s life. In this recent seminar, Rahila recounted her story and sought support for her new endeavour, Afsana, which strives for the economic empowerment of women in Afghanistan through the sale of traditional Afghan embroidery, detailed patterns, and handwork.