America's invasion of Afghanistan was supposed to be a new dawn for Afghan women, but after 18 years the war rages on and the Taliban insurgency is stronger than ever. Now, Afghan women are taking matters into their own hands to safeguard their rights in an uncertain future, risking execution by the Taliban. "We’ve gambled with our lives minute by minute – why? - because we want women to have a place in society", says Laila Haidari. She runs a drug rehab centre, drives a car, shuns the headscarf and hangs out at a bowling alley; all reasons to be killed by the Taliban. A young woman who recently fled an area controlled by the Taliban describes how she was forced to marry at the age of 12; her husband beat her and her father-in-law demanded sex. She is now in hiding, but the Taliban is demanding that she return. "If I go back, they'll kill me. If I don't, they'll kill my family," she says. Politician Fawzia Koofi saves her harshest criticism for the US, which she says failed to follow through on a war that it began. "Was all this talk of human rights, women's rights, democracy - was it just a game?" asks Haidari. Like most Afghans, these women are desperate for peace, but not at any cost.