Women’s Education in Afghanistan | Security Lense | Article | 11-Nov-2024
Education has become a necessary element for the progress of both developing and developed states, particularly for the countries that have been the victims of foreign interventions and have faced civil wars, such as Afghanistan.
The state has been pressured by the international community on women’s education despite various incentives taken by the government to bring girls and women to educational institutions. There are two periods of development for women’s education in Afghanistan.
The first spanned from 2002 to 2021, and the second from 2014 to 2021. The 20 years of democracy provided opportunities for the growth of education along with challenges but since the Taliban took over there has been a significant decline in the quality of education due to the educational policies issued by the Taliban in September 2021.
The Importance of Education for Progress
Until 1919 there were only two schools that were Lisa Habibia and Harbiya.In terms of higher education, the first university in Afghanistan was established in 1948. The Ministry of Education was inaugurated in 1922 to support the growth of several general and vocational schools. During the periods of democracy, significant educational advancements were made; however, there were challenges, especially for female educators.
Women’s autonomy and domestic violence are the main concerns in Afghanistan. Only 5% of women make decisions about their health care, and 44% of women’s health care decisions are taken by their husbands. However, extended access to education can reduce gender inequities and improve women’s quality of life; including reducing experiences of domestic violence and adverse health outcomes. One of the United Nations’ top priorities is reducing gender inequalities and violence against women through Sustainable Development Goal 5. In August and September 2021, the Taliban began enforcing gender segregation in primary, secondary, and post-secondary-level classes by requiring schools to maintain separate entrances for male and female students, allowing girls to be taught only by female teachers, allowing mixed-gender classes only if the number of female students in a classroom is below 15, requiring the presence of a curtain to divide male and female students into mixed-gender classes, and banning girls from secondary-level education. In March 2022, when the new school year started, the Taliban renewed the ban on girl’s secondary education.
Women’s Education in Afghanistan (2002–2021)
In December 2022, Taliban officials announced a new policy banning women from attending university classes and private schools beyond the primary education level. While policies of the Taliban have negatively affected Afghan student’s access to education at all levels, women and girls have been mostly affected, particularly because of bans on their access to education after primary school.
Afghanistan’s deteriorating economic condition and the tenuous security situation have compounded its education sector issues. For example, many Afghan families have found themselves with dwindling financial resources, due in part to Taliban restrictions on women working or travelling outside the home. Some families have made the difficult decision to reduce spending on their children’s education to help meet basic living needs.
Taliban policies have also reduced the quality of education by reducing the number of qualified and available teachers (fewer teachers teaching fewer classes with more students), and replacing secular curricula with religious ones. Although the lack of educational access and the decline in quality have significantly affected Afghans, U.S. agencies are still funding programs and taking some steps to help address these problems.
Impact of Taliban Policies on Women’s Education
Another factor contributing to the decline in enrollment at all levels of education is Afghanistan’s deteriorating economic conditions. Since August 2021, the Afghan economy has been in an economic crisis due to the reduced international support, and sanctions against the Taliban.
In an August 2022 ‘Save the Children’ report, it was found that only 3 per cent of Afghan households were able to meet their basic household needs, and 56 per cent of households said they had reduced spending on health and education because of poverty. The economic crisis has forced households to pull children out of secondary school to work or for underage daughters to be married off to secure a “bride price” to meet household costs. A report issued by Public Information Offier noted that before August 2021, 28 per cent of women aged 15–49 were married before the age of 18 in Afghanistan—the practice is increasing due to the ban on girls’ education and the concurrent economic crisis. According to United Nations Children’s Fund Afghan girls who marry before 18 are less likely to remain in school, are more likely to experience domestic violence, discrimination, and abuse, and suffer from poor mental health.
A third factor contributing to the decline in student enrollment across all levels of education is the tenuous security situation in Afghanistan. Although the country’s overall security improved girls are still at risk of harassment from insurgents and Taliban when trying to access schools.
In September 2022, a bombing at a girls’ school resulted in the deaths of 54 students. In June 2023, 89 girls from two different schools were hospitalized after being poisoned.A November 2022 USAID survey found that 16 per cent of teachers and 17 per cent of oversight monitoring professionals surveyed said girls cannot travel safely to school due to fears about the Taliban’s presence, harassment, or physical attacks.However, schoolgirls were subjected to deliberate poisonings many times before the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The Taliban, who are generally not in favour of formal education for girls, were accused of some of the previous incidents.
International and Civil Society Reactions
European Union stated that “the announcement by the Taliban to ban women from universities is another violation of international obligations and constitutes institutionalized, systematic discrimination against women and girls.
The denial of the right to education for Afghan women and girls undermines their capacity to prosper and play a full and meaningful role in society”,the US State Department said “The United States continues to press the Taliban to restore access to education for all Afghans. Our commitment to the Afghan people remains strong, and we advocate for the rights of women and girls to receive an education”.
Civil society also expressed serious concerns as Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot wait, said “Any ban on women’s education in Afghanistan is a despicable attack on human rights and Afghanistan as a country. Denying girls and women their right to education excludes 50% of the population from rebuilding Afghanistan. Education and knowledge are cornerstones of the teachings of Islam and are essential for peace and economic prosperity”.Additionally, an Afghan schoolgirl said during an interview “When half of a country’s population, which is women, are deprived of work and education, that nation never achieves peace”.
Azizullah Omar, a Taliban representative from Parwan province, stated there is no issue with starting education; the only problem lies in the curriculum. He mentioned that a committee has been formed for its reform and, after approval from clerics, schools would begin operations.
Also, The Taliban’s decree prohibits girls from continuing their education after completing the sixth grade, effectively ending formal schooling for many girls around the age of 13. However, the Taliban have reportedly allowed female high school graduates in Afghanistan to enroll in state-run medical institutes for the new academic year beginning in March 2024. The enrollment process has begun in more than a dozen Afghan provinces, following a directive from the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Public Health in Kabul.
In the light of the current state of women’s education in Afghanistan. A few recommendations can be made to enhance educational opportunities, such as collaborating with religious and community leaders to break down harmful gender norms that restrict girls’ education, supporting and scaling Afghan women-led alternative educational models, inducing technology and online learning systems to enhance the reach of education for girls, financing and training Afghan women teachers, especially at the village and local levels, and to address the critical teacher shortage and meaningfully include Afghan women leaders in the development of education assistance policy and implementation.
Taliban’s Stance and Future of Education in Afghanistan
Taliban’s policies have affected women’s education in Afghanistan more than any other segment of society. The rationale behind the Taliban’s ban on education is an orthodox implementation of the Shariah that aims to ensure the safety and security of Afghan girls. It is important to introduce the necessary reforms and provide girls with sufficient opportunities to learn and achieve their full potential, for them to become self-sufficient.
However, the statement issued by the Taliban government indicates a sense of leniency as compared to the situation in 1996. This also signals a possible willingness for negotiation, and flexibility in policies as a result of pressures from both domestic and international criticism that calls for the fulfillment of women’s fundamental right to education.
Connect with Security Lense
Leave a Reply