"VAN" (Afghanistan Bureau - 11.04.2024) :: As the Eid ul-Fitr approaches, some of the girls deprived of education in Afghanistan have emphasized that their Eid would entail the continuation of girls’ education and the reopening of universities, asserting that societal progress hinges on women.
Amina Amin, a communication and journalism student at Kabul University, who for the second consecutive year couldn’t continue her studies, sees this situation as “disheartening” and “discouraging” for all girls in Afghanistan.
At 23 years old, Amina, speaking to Khaama Press, expressed her search for alternative ways to fill her leisure time, having been deprived of continuing her university education.
Amina added, “Certainly, during the school years, especially when preparing for the university entrance exam, we faced difficulties, and we endured those hardships to fulfil our aspirations, hoping to succeed in our desired field at university.”
According to this student, the prohibition on education for all Afghan girls is “discouraging” and “disheartening,” and with the closure of universities, all her aspirations and plans have been disrupted, and she couldn’t achieve her goals.
Amin urges the Taliban government to allow girls to learn, as she believes that Afghanistan, in its current circumstances, needs educated women, and Islam does not prohibit girls’ education.
In Amina’s belief, among Islamic countries, Afghanistan is the only country where girls’ education has been prohibited, and the progress of society depends on the advancement of women in that society; educated women can raise an educated generation for Afghanistan.
This is while UNESCO statistics show that the presence of female students in Afghan universities reached 103,854 students in 2021, which dropped to zero after the ban on girls’ attendance at universities in 2023.
Another student, Sarah, at Kabul University, also regards girls’ education in Afghanistan society and the current conditions as “important and necessary.”
She adds, “I demand, on the occasion of Eid, the Taliban administration to reopen the doors of universities as a gift; Afghanistan needs educated girls for a progressive society.”
It is worth mentioning that over the past two years, most girls have resorted to online education, scholarships, hidden schools, foreign language centers, art, and commerce.
This is while human rights organizations, women’s rights activists, and some girls in the country have emphasized the reopening of schools and universities for girls.
Additionally, Hamid Karzai, the former president of the country, also stated in a congratulatory message for Eid that the progress and development of the country rely on education and knowledge, and without it, this matter is impossible.
KP
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