Teacher In Afghanistan Defies The Taliban By Running Secret School For Girls

In Afghanistan, a brave teacher is defying the Taliban’s rule by running a clandestine school for girls despite the education ban imposed by the extremist group. Despite claiming to support girls’ education, the Taliban’s actions demonstrate otherwise. Out of many clerics attending a recent Taliban meeting, only two showed support for girls’ education, and no progress has been made since then. It seems that the Taliban is more focused on issuing anti-women verdicts and exploiting girls’ schools for political purposes. Their aim is to maintain control over society by restricting the education of girls, as they are unable to do so with boys.

The situation in Afghanistan hasn’t always been like this. After the US military intervened and ousted the Taliban in 2001, the country underwent socio-economic reforms and reconstruction efforts. A post-Taliban constitution was ratified in 2004, which greatly expanded women’s rights, including their access to education. By 2009, women even ran for the presidency, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s history.

However, years of war and hostility have taken a toll on Afghanistan’s infrastructure, specifically its educational institutions. Even before the Taliban’s recent takeover in 2021, there were already significant obstacles to providing education to children. According to a UNICEF report, over 4.2 million children, 60% of whom were girls, were out of school in Afghanistan. The lack of education has dire consequences, resulting in lost earnings and missed opportunities. The education of girls is particularly crucial as it affects their ability to delay marriage and childbearing, participate in the workforce, make decisions about their future, and invest in their own education and health, as well as that of their children, later in life. Afghanistan’s economy is also greatly impacted by this issue. Estimates suggest that if 3 million girls who currently don’t have access to education were able to complete secondary school and enter the job market, it would contribute at least $5.4 billion to the country’s economy.

Amnesty International reports also shed light on the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights, including the right to work. Numerous women employed in the government have been instructed to stay at home, and many high-ranking women in the private sector have been dismissed from their positions. The Taliban’s policies are designed to limit women’s roles to those that cannot be replaced by men. Women who choose to continue working face numerous challenges due to clothing and behavioral restrictions imposed by the Taliban. This authoritarian mindset can be traced back to the Taliban’s rule two decades ago when they first banned women’s access to education and oppressed women in various ways. However, Afghan women are determined not to be silenced and are fighting fiercely for their rights.

Apart from the education ban and women’s rights restrictions, there are significant security threats and acts of terrorism in Afghanistan that pose risks to students. A suicide bombing in west Kabul targeted a class of over 500 students and claimed the lives of at least 54 young girls. This attack was the second deadly assault on educational institutions since the Taliban’s takeover.