Education Under Fire: The Battle For Girls' Education In Afghanistan

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, girls have been banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade. This restriction on female education has been widely condemned by the international community and has triggered protests in some Afghan cities. The Taliban's decision to exclude girls from secondary and higher education has raised concerns about the country's development and the future of young women in Afghanistan. Despite the backlash, the Taliban have shown no signs of reversing their decision, and Afghanistan remains the only country in the world with restrictions on female education.

The Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law

Since regaining control of the country in 2021, the Taliban has once again barred girls from receiving an education beyond the sixth grade. This decision has been met with international condemnation and has further isolated the Taliban regime. Despite initially promising to allow girls to attend secondary school, the Taliban reversed this decision, causing distress among students and their families.

The Taliban justifies its position on girls' education by claiming that it does not comply with their interpretation of Islamic law or Sharia. Sharia law is derived from the Quran, the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad, and the rulings of Islamic scholars. It encompasses a wide range of moral and ethical principles that guide Muslims in their daily lives.

The Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law is informed by the Deobandi strand of Hanafi jurisprudence, commonly found in Southeast Asian countries like Pakistan and India. Additionally, their interpretation is influenced by their lived experience as a predominantly rural and tribal society. Their perspective on girls' education is also shaped by a specific school of 19th-century Islamic thought, which promotes restrictive and extreme orthodoxy.

The consequences of the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law have been far-reaching, not only for girls and women but also for Afghan society as a whole. The denial of education to girls and women threatens to create a lost generation, hindering the country's development and advancement. It also has economic implications, as excluding women from the job market hurts the country's GDP.

While the Taliban claims to respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law, their interpretation remains ambiguous and open to criticism, even from within their own ranks. The future of girls' education in Afghanistan remains uncertain, and the international community continues to advocate for the restoration of girls' right to learn.

The impact of the ban on women

The ban on girls' education in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on women and girls, with consequences for the wider population.

Lack of Female Healthcare Professionals

Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General's special representative for Afghanistan, highlighted the lack of training for aspiring female healthcare professionals as one of the most obvious impacts of the ban. Afghan women work in hospitals and clinics, and with men unable to treat them, the lack of female doctors, nurses, midwives, and gynaecologists will have a detrimental impact on the healthcare available to women and children.

Impact on the Economy

The ban has also had a significant impact on the economy. Tens of thousands of teachers have lost their jobs, and private institutions and businesses that benefited from girls' education have been hit. Excluding women from the job market has cost the country billions of dollars, according to UNICEF.

Impact on Mental Health

The ban has had a dire impact on the mental health of Afghan women and girls. USIP reported that girls who have been out of school exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. A teacher from an underground private school in Kabul reported that her students are suffering from attention deficiency and learning difficulties, with most displaying signs of depression and anxiety.

Child Labour and Child Marriage

Girls who are not in school are at increased risk of child labour and child marriage, according to aid groups.

Loss of Educational Gains

The ban has also reversed huge gains made in education over the past 20 years. Between 2001 and 2018, the number of girls in primary school increased from almost zero to 2.5 million, and the number of women in higher education increased by almost 20 times. Literacy rates for women doubled during this period.

Impact on Broader Societal Achievements

Before the Taliban takeover, women were increasingly playing vital roles in Afghanistan's traditionally patriarchal society. There were 63 women in parliament, nine women in minister- or deputy-minister-level positions, 280 women judges, and over 500 prosecutors. There were also over 2,000 women-owned small and medium-sized businesses. These advancements are now under threat.

The international response

The international community has been vocal in its criticism of the Taliban's ban on girls' education in Afghanistan. The UN's educational and cultural organisation, UNESCO, has warned that barring girls and young women from classrooms could "wipe out huge gains made in education and create 'a lost generation'. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the Taliban to "open schools for all students without any further delay".

The Taliban's decision to exclude girls from high school is based on their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. However, clerics outside Afghanistan have unanimously stated that Islam places equal emphasis on female and male education.

The ban has triggered widespread condemnation and remains the Taliban's biggest obstacle to gaining recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. The Taliban's stance on female education has also hampered their efforts to gain formal international recognition.

The UN has called for immediate and non-negotiable access to education and a return to school for all girls and young women in Afghanistan. The UN's children's agency, UNICEF, has also renewed calls for teenage girls to be able to rejoin the classroom.

The Taliban's ban on girls' education has also been criticised by Afghan religious scholars, some of whom have called on the authorities to reconsider their decision.

The Taliban's previous rule

During their previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban banned girls' education in Afghanistan. Girls were not allowed to study beyond the sixth grade, and women were barred from working.

This time around, when the Taliban retook control in 2021, they initially promised a more progressive government and vowed that women and girls would be protected from violence and that education would remain a right for all. However, they soon broke their promise. Girls are currently not allowed to go to school beyond the sixth grade and are barred from attending university.

The Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, is the reason behind the ban on girls' education. According to them, it doesn't comply with their religious beliefs. However, this interpretation contradicts the core principles of Islam, which obligates both men and women to pursue knowledge.

The consequences of the ban are dire, not just for women and girls but also for the social and economic fabric of Afghan society. Half of the population is unable to contribute to the country's future, and Afghanistan is facing a dark future with the highest level of illiteracy in the world.

Underground schools

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, girls have been banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade. This has led to the emergence of underground schools, which provide girls with an education despite the Taliban's restrictions. These schools operate in secret, often in ordinary houses, with students and teachers taking precautions to avoid detection by the Taliban.

One such school is run by Parasto Hakim, who operates a clandestine network of schools educating around 400 girls across eight Afghan provinces with the help of 150 teachers and staff. Hakim's schools teach a range of subjects, including math, science, English, and tailoring. The students and teachers must follow strict security protocols to ensure their safety, including knowing how to respond to a Taliban inspection.

Another example is a school run by Sodaba Nazhand in Kabul. Nazhand teaches English, science, and math to girls who should be in secondary school. Her school, like many others, is technically illegal under the Taliban's restrictions, but it has not been shut down. However, Nazhand worries about the future of her school as she struggles to pay for rent and supplies.

The existence of underground schools highlights the determination of Afghan girls to pursue an education, even in the face of opposition and risk. It also demonstrates the efforts of teachers and activists who are willing to put themselves in danger to provide girls with access to learning.

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