Banned From Riding Bikes, Skateboarding Afghan Girls Shred Their Way To Empowerment

A new photo exhibit reveals how cultural and gender norms are being crushed in Afghanistan.

In 2007, Australian skateboarder Oliver Percovich traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan with skateboards in tow. Seeing the curious faces of Afghan kids—many of whom, particularly the girls, were not allowed to ride bicycles—and their excitement to learn how to skate gave Percovich the idea to start Skateistan, an NGO initiative in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa that uses "skateboarding as a tool for empowering youth, to create new opportunities and the potential for change." Skateistan, which has established itself as Afghanistan's first skateboarding school, has gained attention over the years, most notably for its ever-growing body of female students.

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