Getting an education in Afghanistan

10 October 2008

The 15 year old (we call her 'Nasrin' because she did not want to tell us her real name) was told to quit school when she started the fifth grade. Nasrin went to her mother for assistance, but was turned down. "You should accept what your brother says. I cannot do anything about it," was the response from her mother. In many areas of Afghanistan, girls are often taken out of school when they hit puberty.

Cultural factors related to the 'correctness' of sending girls to school, reluctance to send girls and boys to the same school after third grade, as well as the perceived and real security threats related to girls walking to school and attending classes all contribute to slowing down the enrollment of girls in schools. Likewise, the enormous lack of female teachers, who are fundamental in a country where girls cannot be taught by a man after a certain age, is having a negative impact on girls’ education.

While progress has been made since the fall of the Taliban, women are still struggling to see their rights fulfilled. Literacy rates among young Afghan women are disturbingly low: only 18 per cent of women between 15 and 24 can read. While the total number of children enrolled in primary schools is increasing tremendously, the percentage of female students is not.

14 year-old Razia is in grade seven and is worried about the future. "My mother is in the hospital and I am afraid that if my mother dies, my uncle will not allow me and my sister to continue our education," she says. Her uncle is worried about the rumors in the village. "People talk about the girls going to school. They say it is a shame that they go," she says.

Women have traditionally been considered part of the private sphere and their mobility is restricted by the family. In rural areas, women are not allowed to leave the house. Women’s lack of freedom of movement is a major obstacle to women's full participation in the Afghan society. Swimming pools in Kabul are for men only and parks and open areas are largely reserved for men. "I really love to go on picnics during the holidays, but my father does not allow me to go," a 13 year old girl says. "He is worried about the security and says that there is no place where women can go for picnic," she continues. "I really wish that one day I could everywhere I wanted without any risks," she concludes.

CARE is working to improve the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan. Currently, 17,138 students (70 per cent girls) are beneficiaries of CARE's community based education activities throughout Afghanistan. CARE is also providing vulnerable women, who are the main bread winners of their families, and their family members with income opportunities through vocational training and livestock projects.