Afghan girls from the Shaolin Wushu Club practising their skills during a training session on the top of a hill in Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. There are 20 girls, whose ages are from 14 to 20 years, learning wushu in the club. The Afghan girls have been learning the Chinese martial art for almost two years. Ms Seema Azimi (centre, with sword) has been running the club with her father since 2015 to challenge gender bias in the conservative and war-torn country. Ms Azimi is the only coach in the club. Despite the freezing winter temperatures, the trainees persist in practising their skills every week on the hilltop.