The three girls live in exile where, despite an increase in deportations and rising hostility towards migrants, they use sport to empower women
-
Photographs by Ali Mohammadi Rad
Shokoufeh Jafari was only two when her family fled Afghanistan. In August 1998, as the Taliban closed in on the Bamiyan valley and targeted families of former military personnel, the Jafaris crossed the border into neighbouring Iran in search of refuge.
Now 29, Shokoufeh and her sisters, Maryam, 23, and Mandana, 20, have built a life in the city of Shiraz defined by resilience and a passion for Kyokushin karate.
Shokoufeh acts as a referee at a provincial karate competition in Shiraz in July 2022, as one of her students eagerly waits for their match to begin
