Education: It’s What Societies Need to Thrive
Women’s History Month is winding down as Ramadan is beginning and Peace in Action recognizes the efforts of brave women bringing equality and education to the women of Afghanistan.
From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban forbid females to go to school and stifled their talents and prevented them from reaching their full potential as productive and contributing member of society. In August of 2021, history repeated itself as the Taliban took over Kabul and declared girls could only attend school to the sixth grade and in December of 2022, the Taliban completely banned women from attending universities.
“Afghanistan is the only country in the world that forbids half of its population from going to school.” Afghanistan has the highest level of illiteracy in the world with the bleakest and darkest future https://malala.org/countries/afghanistan.
A year ago, the Human Rights Campaign “interviewed 16-year-old Atefa who, in trying to explain the helplessness she felt, said, “For Afghan girls, the earth is unbearable, and the sky is unreachable.” One year later she said to me: “I just have one question; would the world leaders bear it if their daughters were banned from school?”
In addition, the Taliban is not allowing women to work, which is contributing to food insecurity and there is an increase of gender-based violence. Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan has created a digital literacy for not only Afghan women but all women and refugees to have a road to education because, “Education Isn’t Just a Human Right, It’s What All Societies Need to Thrive”
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan have a five point program: “(1) Investments in Basic Education; (2) Community Libraries, Literacy and Books; (3) Technology for Education; (4) Public Engagement and (5) Afghanistan Policy Dialogue” https://cw4wafghan.ca/about-us/. They have built relationships with universities to expand their reach to bring education to Afghan women.
The UN Refugee Agency provides education to empower refugees and women in oppressed countries. Education helps victims to recover from trauma, reduces possible exploitation, child labor and child marriage. There are 8.2 million refugees that are displaced, 3.2 million people remain displaced, and 70% are women and children.
“Afghanistan’s displacement crisis is one of the largest and most protracted in UNHCR’s seven-decade history. We’re now seeing a third generation of Afghan children born in exile,’’ says UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/afghanistan/.
Follow any of these hashtags to see what you can do to help:
Comentarios