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Girls Education
The dark classroom with only one small window was so hot and stuffy that the 38 little girls could hardly breathe. There were only 9 desks and a few long chairs that had to be shared among the young children. The teacher was trying to convince them that they were to have the opportunity to study and learn. She was talking about their bright future, the possibilities, and many ways they can help Afghanistan when they finish their school.
The girls were listening quietly. Their eyes were filled with questions, worries, and doubts. They knew that just the night before, their principal received a night letter from an unknown group who warned him to shut down the school or they would kill him. They were not sure if they would come tomorrow, or their school building would be standing. And yet, here they were, eager to learn as much as they could. Their thirst for knowledge was far greater than these barriers. These little girls and their teacher clearly understood what was at stake; it’s not just their own personal lives, but the life and soul of Afghanistan itself. They knew that without education there could be no chance for real lasting peace, prosperity, and a true civil society.
Long after the initial overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001, Afghanistan’s girls are still fighting for an education. While certain indicators of women’s progress in Afghanistan are encouraging (women have the right to vote; they hold a quarter of the seats in parliament, and are legally allowed to find jobs outside the home), fewer than 30% of eligible girls are enrolled in schools and the infrastructure is so poor that only a tiny fraction are likely to get the education they need to enjoy the fruits of emancipation.
The stakes for Afghan society are high. Every social and economic index shows that countries with a higher percentage of women with a high school education also have better overall health, a more fundamental democracy and increased economic performance. Educated women are also a strong bulwark against the extremism that still plagues many areas within Afghanistan.
Challenges for Educating Girls Remain High |
Afghanistan is still a country where in many regions, Afghan families won’t allow their daughters to be where they may be seen by men. “Girls in this society have certain needs” says Education Minister Hanif Atmar. “They cannot be in a tented school or in an open space with no sanitation facilities, so they simply do not go.”
A 2006 report by Oxfam indicated that the ratio of boys to girls in primary school is roughly 2 to 1, but by the time girls enter secondary school (and puberty), the ratio drops to four boys for every girl. In more than 80% of rural districts, there are no girls in secondary school at all. Overall, only 10% of girls in school actually obtain a diploma. Only 28% of the country’s accredited teachers are women. It is absolutely critical to increase the number of female teachers if we want to see more girls in school.
Girls without an education are often forced into early marriage and child-bearing, robbing their chances to become proud, productive citizens and robbing the country of perhaps 50% of an additional workforce.
What HTAC is Doing to Promote Girls Education |
From its earliest days, Help the Afghan Children has made a special commitment to promote the education of girls. During the repressive rule of the Taliban (from 2006 through most of 2001), HTAC successfully operated 17 home-based educational programs for girls. In a country with such a disproportionate enrollment ratio of boys to girls enrollment, HTAC is committed to having at least 50% of all enrolled children who attend our schools and participate in our programs be girls; a percentage we have consistently met since 2002.
At HTAC, we believe that girls can excel just as well in the classroom as boys. This is evidenced by the impressive performance of girls who improve their literacy (through our “Read Afghanistan” storybooks) each year and the exceptionally high numbers of girls achieving computer literacy (through our computer education program). In fact, in 2007, over 99% of the 3,335 girls enrolled in computer classes achieved satisfactory or higher competency ratings (through testing and evaluation), in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, and (for 12th. graders) Power Point, outperforming boys.
HTAC believes in creating a safe and secure learning environment for children, especially girls, to learn. Schools that participate in our peace education program report that harassment of girls in school have declined dramatically as a result of our special teacher and student peer mediator program that teaches children; especially boys, non-violent methods of resolving conflict and building pride and self-esteem.
Because of our work, so many girls at HTAC-sponsored schools now dream of becoming teachers, doctors, engineers and managers, and because of our strong investment in local communities (where we have schools), girls are receiving the necessary support to realize those dreams from parents and community leaders who recognize that investing in education for girls and boys is an investment in Afghanistan.
If Afghanistan has any reason for hope, it is the sheer determination of the girls who do have a chance to go to school. An example of this hope is the story of Lida Ahmadyar, 12, whose sister was killed in a shooting in Logar Province, about a 90 minute drive from Kabul, who began going back to school not long after her sister’s death. Every day she walked past the spot where her sister was gunned down, but she clinged to her dream of becoming a doctor. “I am afraid” she said “But I like school because I am learning something and that will make me important. With education, I can save my country.” If an Afghan girl like Lida is willing to risk her life to learn, what are we willing to do to help her? She doesn’t want that much; just a safe, clean place to learn, a few notebooks and pencils, and a teacher who cares.
At HTAC, we are proud to have directly provided education and hope to tens of thousands of girls since our inception in 1993.
Additional sources:
“The Girl Gap” by Aryn Baker, Ali Safi; Time Magazine, January 28, 2008
“Defeat Taliban by Educating Afghans” by Suraya Sadeed; Chicago Sun Times, September 16, 2006
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