In a remote province of northeastern Afghanistan, women farmers are essential to their community’s survival amid snow‑capped mountains.
In June, the fields of Eshtiwi show only the first faint signs of growth, with small green sprouts emerging around the village.
Habiba, who spoke to AFP while busy weeding, is proud to have been farming in Nuristan province for decades.
“Since I was eight years old, I’ve been going to the field with my mother,” said the 46‑year‑old, who goes by a single name.
“When we harvest wheat, beans, potatoes and corn in the autumn and bring them home, we feel happy,” she added.
In Afghanistan, women are generally allowed to farm despite a Taliban ban on most forms of employment.
The river Parun flowing along a hillside on the outskirts of Parun district in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province © Wakil KOHSAR / AFP 
Mohammad Yahya Faizi, a 34‑year‑old agriculture graduate, said he respects the women’s work.
“Without their labor, the village would have no food during the winter months,” he explained.
During summer, Eshtiwi can be reached only via a dirt track, and prior to AFP’s visit, it had been years since foreign media had accessed the village.
Faizi noted that, for generations, tasks have been divided between men and women in the Parun Valley, where locals use a distinct dialect.
Habiba preparing breakfast before going to work at a wheat field in Eshtiwi village © Wakil KOHSAR / AFP 
She bakes bread from her own wheat flour, pairing it with red beans from her fields, butter, and homemade yoghurt produced by her husband.
The room, serving as both kitchen and bedroom, is adorned with drawings of flowers crafted by Habiba’s 11‑year‑old daughter, Nahida, who is practicing English after learning it at the village school.
Although her mother never attended school, Nahida’s studies will soon end, as Afghan girls are prohibited from schooling after the age of twelve.
one local woman farmers said under the condition of anonymity that they need more tools as well as opportunities to trade © Wakil KOHSAR / AFP 
Bibi Jan, a 70‑year‑old bean and potato grower, described farming as physically demanding.
“We must work hard; our hands become raw, but we have children to feed,” she said.
Habiba wishes for a tractor, but it is too costly; the village has only one that families rent when they can afford it.
“I am not that strong; my back and legs hurt,” she said.
Najia, who asked that her surname remain undisclosed for privacy, echoed the need for better tools and market opportunities for local farmers.
‘Farming is a great profession; it is not limited to men,’ said a 28‑year‑old who studied in Pakistan.
Being in such a remote area makes it impossible to sell direct to customers © Wakil KOHSAR / AFP 
The farmers frequently have surplus crops, but ‘there is no organized market to sell our produce.’
Being in such a remote area makes direct sales impossible, and the community can only interact with occasional passing traders.
I sell my potatoes for 70 afghanis ($1.10) per seven kilograms (about 15 pounds), but I would need 150 afghanis to earn a reasonable income, Najia said.
In Afghanistan, women are generally allowed to farm but have been banned by the Taliban government from most jobs © Wakil KOHSAR / AFP 
The UN has funded storage facilities that allow harvests to be preserved and sold when market conditions improve, and some women have received improved seeds.
FAO has also introduced agroforestry—integrating trees with crops on the same plot—to diversify their income.
Climate change poses challenges, with less predictable snow and rain, or by bringing floods that destroy crops © Wakil KOHSAR / AFP 
Despite the challenges, she said women enjoy working outdoors together.
‘We can help each other,’ she said, while also supplying the village with nutritious food.
‘What we grow with our own hands is very healthy,’ she said.