FEMALE EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTANBy: Lim Ji Wei

WHY WERE WOMEN DENIED EDUCATION? Taliban rule• Ban women from receiving education• Burned down women schools and universities• Women involved in teaching were caught by the

Taliban and persecuted, jailed, and tortured• Affected 106,256 girls, and 8,000 female

university undergraduates. 7,793 female teachers were dismissed, a move that crippled the provision of education and caused 63 schools to close due to a sudden lack of educators

WHAT DO THE FEMALES DO? Some women ran clandestine schools within their homes

for local children, or for other women under the guise of sewing classes.

The learners, parents and educators were aware of the consequences should the Taliban discover their activities

Gave a sense of self-determination and hope for those trapped under the strict Taliban rule

IMPROVEMENT IN FEMALE EDUCATION When Taliban was ousted in 2001 Women are theoretically free to attend school But: o lack of resources and facilitieso regular militant attacks on schools led to regular closure

of schools Takes tremendous bravery and tenacity for girls to go to

school In 2008 alone, there were 283 violent attacks on schools,

resulting in 92 dead and 169 injured

RESULT As a result of Taliban’s rule: Only 26 per cent of Afghanistan’s population is literate, and

among women the rate is only 12 per cent Among school age children, 38 per cent (4.2 million in real

numbers) do not have access to schools, most of which are girls

50 per cent of schools do not have buildings and other necessities, and a dearth of textbooks, teaching materials and equipped laboratories

Large number of school closures or relocations directly affects the quality of education

LOCAL ORGANIZATION STRIVES TO IMPROVE AFGHAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

SOURCES http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/6185.htm

http://www.unicefusa.org/news/news-from-the-field/feeding-girls-hunger-to.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_treatment_of_women

http://www.unwomen.org/lo/news/stories/2013/7/afghani-women-strive-to-get-an-education

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_rights_in_Afghanistan

http://www.army.mil/article/35660/Local_organization_strives_to_improve_Afghan_education_system/