For Women in Kabul, ‘It Is Just Me and the Water’

The women’s pool is accessible from a different entrance, which leads to a basement that is notably dirtier and a third the size of the men’s area. To enter, women have to lock up their cellphones, as any picture-taking in the swimming area is strictly prohibited. The Times was given special permission by both the pool and the swimmers to photograph inside.

At the women’s pool, there is no snack bar, just a collection of tables where women can eat food ordered and delivered, in a complicated segregated exchange, from the male side.

And pool membership costs more than it does for the men.

Still, Ms. Saeedi said, “When I come here, I forget about everything else.”

“It is just me and the water, and it is safe,” she added.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/22/world/asia/afghanistan-kabul-women-swimming.html?emc=rss&partner=rss