Lack of Educational Opportunities for Women in Afghanistan


The first World Conference on Women, held in Mexico in 1975, there has been recognition that women have an important role to play in the promotion of peace. The Council further recognized that the full participation women in peace processes can contribute significantly to the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security. (general assembly, 2001, P.29)

- Women only can contribute in the promotion of peace that has education and freedom to add in the society. In Afghanistan women don’t have identical contribution in Peace as they have not been given equal educational opportunity as of the regimes and complementary social problems. Moreover I am insisting on the social problem as the regimes motion on women’s education has been changing but social problem has existed since the history of formal education in Afghanistan. Here I want to go to bit in details.

Education as formal system was essentially and significantly improved under the rule of King Zahir Shah from 1933 to 1973, making primary schools available to about half of the population who were under the age of 12, and expanding the secondary school system and the national university in Kabul.
In spite of these improvements and expansions, high percent of the population especially women remained illiterate. Schools became one of the first military targets for the Mujahedin and the long war against the Soviet occupation. With the fall of the Communist government in 1992, the country was divided among warring factions; many of them ideologically opposed the modern education system and more precisely educating girls. In 1996 the Taliban regime banned education for females, and only few hidden private homes became the main source of primary and secondary education for girls.

Reconstructing of the education system became a top priority. After the overthrow of Taliban regime in 2001, the interim government with the help of international community started to rebuild and reform the education system and enroll the women in education. The international community provided substantial aid and cooperation to rebuild and restore the education system. Two United Nations agencies, UNICEF and UNESCO led the reconstruction efforts, working closely with the new interim government particularly with the ministry of education.

Despite all consideration and inconsideration of subsequent government and regimes on women’s education, there are social problem and key challenges that have important impact on women and education in Afghanistan. Although in Taliban regimes women were not enrolled in education, the situation of illiterate women in Afghanistan is not only the result of Taliban’s policies or a particular regime. In fact, lack of educational opportunity does not only depend on the government but also on social challenges like economic problem, family beliefs, traditional culture and security. These challenges existed from the history of formal education.The kings Habibullah Khan, his son Amanullah khan and their chief Advisor Tarzi 1872- 1960 have contributed their efforts on woman’s education before Kings Zahir Shah.

Tarzi was the main force behind Habibullah Khan's social reforms, especially with regard to women education. These reforms included changing the medieval schools systems, allowing publication of books and journals, and lift all restrictions that ban girls and women
from the rest of society, Tarzi viewed women as people who deserved full citizenship and believed that educated women are an asset to future generations as Islam did not deny them equal rights.

Unfortunately all efforts were not so much constructive and the majority of women remained illiterate due to the existing social problems. The same problem still experienced at present time. There is no restriction from the government side and girls have free access to education, however, many girls do not have permission from their families to go to school base on social problems.

In our neighborhood in Kabul, there is a family whose daughter is 11 years old. Last year, she was in Class Four, but her mother did not let her continue her education this year. I personally asked the mother, why she did not allow her daughter to go school, she answered” I need her to do chores at home.” She believes that she is old enough to do the cooking for the whole family and it is her responsibility to take care of her sisters and brothers. The same beliefs exist in many families in Kabul and mostly in the regions.

Base In economic, there are many families that I personally know due to economic problem their daughters cannot go to school.
Faiz Mohammad who is jobless and has three daughters no son, the three daughters are working full day to make carpet for rent to feed themselves and the parent.

Moreover, during the last two years, many females’ schools were burned in Afghanistan which made many families hesitate to send their daughters to schools.

Obstacles and challenges preventing females in Afghanistan to be educated are numerous. My proposals are that the responsibility of the government and the international community is not only to improve the educational system but also to address the issue politically, economically, culturally and socially, as the International Communities and Ministry of Education of Afghanistan now are working in particularly on the educational system.

Those parents who are illiterates believe that their daughters brought up similarly and reluctant to allow them to get education, there they require being aware of advantages of education in life which basically lead to peace building, as they are enthusiastic to have peace in the country. The awareness needs to be accomplished by the government and international community who work for education system in Afghanistan.

Education is one of the base points for peace building and women have important role on it. Currently in Afghanistan a high range of women are illiterate and there is no restriction from the government side for women to gain education however social problems are preventing them to get education or to work in the society and thereby they can not take part in peace building activities which directly relate to education.



References:

UN General Assembly, Security Council, 2001, Prevention of armed conflict


Ghosh, A.H., History of women in Afghanistan, Retrieved 14 Feb 2008, www.bridgew.edu