After the long closure of 187 days, finally, teenage girls in Afghanistan were ready to return to school on Wednesday. But, filled with excitement to ultimately get back in the educational system and be able to learn, the Afghan female student’s much-anticipated return shattered into pieces when the gates were again closed for women, ordering them to return home.
The Deep Division in Afghanistan Over Girl’s Education
Sparking widespread international condemnation, the ruling against the reopening of schools for girls under the Taliban regime is disheartening and deeply concerning but hardly shocking.
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Though at first, the Taliban originally agreed to open schools and universities for all students – including girls – after the Afghan new year on March 21st, the Taliban’s Supreme Council of Jurisprudence’s doubts about the decision were far from hidden.
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The hope of lifting a seven-month-old de facto ban on women’s education over Grade 6 dawned when the ruling regime backtracked from their promise two days later. Justifying the reversal of openings, the Taliban stated their intentions of postponing girls’ education until school policies are compliant with “Afghan culture and principles of Islamic Law.”
“Even the Prophet [Muhammad] said everyone has the right to education, but the Taliban has snatched this right from us,”
Youngster Nawesa
Peeking deeper into the administration’s mindset, it is abundantly clear that the Taliban leaders are still floundering to embrace the position of women and their role in Afghan society.
The Vague, Misdirecting Explanations
Various reports are circulating in the wake of the Taliban’s recent decision to prevent girls from continuing their education beyond class 6. Re-directing at the Taliban’s triumphant march into Kabul last August, the education ministry reported a shortage of teachers. As a result, thousands of Afghans, many of them trained teachers, fled the city.
Additionally, a Taliban official told a local newspaper the schools would reopen once a “standardised uniform” was introduced for girls that reflected Afghan culture.
When the Taliban allowed public universities to reopen last month, they promised to reopen girls’ schools as well. However, different reports and commentary by the Taliban have only further confused the situation regarding the regime’s position on girls’ education.
The regime has held meetings with women doctors and nurses to encourage them to return to work and continue serving. However, the regime still struggles with the issue of girls’ education and their participation in public life.
Are Classroom Closures the Only Hurdle?
Girls will still face hurdles even if their access to high schools is restored. In addition, the long–standing shortage of women teachers will likely worsen after many professionals have fled the country following the Taliban takeover.
According to UNICEF 2016 reports, only 30 per cent of teachers in Afghanistan were female. That number was even lower in rural areas and at the upper end of the education spectrum.
The standard of education for girls is also in question, with only 10-15% of female teachers fully qualified.
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Lack of career prospects is another problem. Taliban women are effectively barred from most jobs, so families are less likely to send their daughters to college.
“Why would you and your family make huge sacrifices for you to study if you can never have the career you dreamed of?”
Sahar Fetrat
Concerns also exist that religious education will increasingly dominate girls’ schooling.
According to Human Rights Watch, in several provinces, Taliban officials have already removed secular subjects from the curriculum and increased religious study.
Women in rural areas also face additional obstacles. For example, the Center for Global Development reports that 70% of girls in urban areas attended primary school before the Taliban’s takeover, compared to only 40% in rural areas. Whereas, for boys, the difference is much smaller.
The traditional attitude of rural families toward girls and poverty, safety concerns, and transportation issues have contributed to the absence of girls from school.
Taliban bans on mixed schools could exacerbate gender disparities in some provinces where only one in ten teachers are female.
Can the Taliban Clock Back?
According to humanitarian experts, Taliban takeover circumstances have changed greatly over the past two decades.
1996, Afghanistan was ravaged by civil war; a generation grew up with little or no education, whereas most educated Afghans had left the country.
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The rise in girls’ education and employment opportunities has been highlighted as a success of the donors’ investment in education.
Former refugees who were educated abroad and exposed to a broader worldview also returned after 2001. As of 2019, 87% of Afghans support girls’ education, according to a survey by the Asia Foundation, an international development organisation.
Despite the Taliban’s promise to let girls go to school, experts say their underlying philosophy hasn’t changed, making it unlikely that women will be able to pursue careers and participate fully in public life.
The Uncertain Role of Women in Afghanistan
Women make up 48 per cent of the population of Afghanistan, so the Taliban must realise that the country cannot advance without the active participation of almost half of its population.
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There are already a variety of issues plaguing Afghan society, such as unemployment and a shortage of trained and skilled workforce. Amid these problems, one can only hope that the Taliban reverse their decision and open schools without restrictions for girls.
