International Women’s Day, which is celebrated in early March, recognizes the instrumental role that women have played in global development and provides a forum for discussing the challenges that women continue to face. The occasion was a perfect time to reflect on the progress made in women’s right in Afghanistan and to identify the work that still needs to be done. One of the key aspects of empowering women and girls in Afghanistan involves securing access to education, especially in the country’s rural areas.
Girls in rural Afghanistan continue to face some challenges to obtaining an education. One of these challenges is getting to and from school. Children must often walk miles to and from school each day. Snow and floods can make travel by foot difficult.
Despite these challenges, Afghan girls have made significant progress in obtaining access to education in recent years. A number of humanitarian organizations have offered educational programs in an effort to teach girls how to read. These programs also aim to change perceptions about the role of females in society.
Besides educational programs, the humanitarian organizations have provided children with supplies such as textbooks, writing equipment, and school bags. The organizations have also constructed schools to protect children from the elements and to allow them to concentrate on learning.
In addition, mixed school committees have increased in popularity, allowing parents to be more active in their children’s education and promoting educational equality.
Moreover, mothers have been encouraged to enroll in adult literacy programs in order to develop literacy skills and a greater understanding of the importance of their daughters’ education. Fathers have also been urged to participate in these literacy programs.
In addition, female teachers have been encouraged to remain in Afghanistan’s workforce. The presence of female teachers has been found to result in a higher retention of female students in schools.