KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — Brazilian bodybuilder and jiu-jitsu fighter Natalia Santoro recently spent 10 days traveling alone across Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. What she saw and felt was both beautiful and deeply disturbing.

In an exclusive interview with Future Afghanistan, Santoro opened up about her personal experience navigating the country’s breathtaking landscapes, its warm people, and its harsh, often invisible, rules — especially for women.

“The Taliban haven’t changed — only their clothes are cleaner. Afghan women are deprived of their most basic rights.”

Santoro says the freedom Afghan women once knew is nearly gone.

“Most girls can’t study after sixth grade. Women aren’t allowed to go to gyms, swim, travel alone, show their hair, or even shake hands with men.

Their lives are confined to four walls — silence, dependence, and invisibility.”

While Santoro moved freely — hiking, speaking with men, walking in public — she was struck by how restricted Afghan women are in their own country.

“The contrast was heartbreaking. Afghan women are intelligent and strong, but they’re not allowed to grow. It’s not lack of ability — it’s lack of permission.”

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have issued more than 20 decrees targeting women — banning education, jobs, and public visibility. Many of these rules aren’t even formally announced — just silently enforced.

“The Taliban rule through fear and control, not justice or freedom,” Santoro said. “This isn’t about religion — it’s about domination.”

Despite the grim environment, Santoro also experienced moments of deep humanity — especially from Afghan women.

“We shared tea together. We didn’t speak the same language, but we smiled, used our eyes and hands to communicate. They welcomed me like family. Their kindness broke me.”

Her muscular frame and tattoos drew attention — but not hostility.

“Children would touch my arms. People asked questions with genuine curiosity. It felt human, not judgmental.”

In the absence of gyms, she trained with whatever she could find.

“Just me, my body, the earth, and anything heavy I could lift. It brought me back to why I train — for strength, order, and inner calm.”

Santoro cautions against seeing Afghanistan only as a place of suffering.

“Yes, it’s ruled by fear. Yes, it’s dangerous. But it’s also full of warmth, hope, and incredibly strong people.”

She added: “I didn’t want to just hear about Afghanistan. I wanted to see it, feel it, understand it. Fear should never be the reason we close our eyes to others’ realities.”

In recent years, more foreign tourists have entered Afghanistan. Many visit places Afghan women are barred from.

Santoro’s story may be the first time a solo foreign woman has shared such a candid, firsthand account of life for Afghan women under Taliban rule.

“I saw both beauty and brutality. What I hope people understand,” Santoro said, “is that Afghan women aren’t voiceless — they’re being silenced. But they are still here. And they deserve the world’s attention.”

Ironically, just weeks ago, a major global travel site ranked Afghanistan as the most dangerous destination in the world due to terrorist threats, arrests, and kidnappings. Other countries on the list included Iran, Russia, Haiti, and Syria.