Afghan girl takes up motocross and champions women's rights

Negin Afshar, 16, one of the motocross racers, prepares herself before an exercise in Kabul, Afghanistan July 23, 2020. Picture was taken July 23, 2020. [REUTERS/Omar Sobhani]

For 16-year-old Negin Afshar, riding a motorbike around a dirt track in Kabul isn't just about the excitement. It is also a way to show that Afghan women can be tough too in a country where concerns are growing that hard-earned rights might be lost.

Encouraged by her parents, Afshar took up motocross about a year ago after having competed for Afghanistan in athletics when she was younger.