By By Rahim Faiez and Siddiqullah Alizai -
The Associated Press
For most teenage girls in Afghanistan, it has been a year since they stepped foot in a classroom.
With no sign that the ruling Taliban will allow them to go back to school, some are trying to find ways to prevent education from stalling for an entire generation of young women.
At a home in Kabul, dozens of people gathered on a recent day for classes at an informal school set up by Sodaba Nazhand.
She and her sister teach English, science and math to girls who should be in high school.
“When I learned that the Taliban wanted to take away women's education rights and employment rights, I wanted to oppose that decision by teaching these girls,” Nazhand told The Associated Press.
What does the Islamic law that the Taliban apply in Afghanistan say about women?
Aug. 20, 202101:41
Hers is
one of several schools that have been opened clandestinely
since the Taliban took over the country a year ago and barred girls from continuing their education beyond the sixth grade.
While the Taliban have allowed women to continue to attend university, this exception will become irrelevant when no more girls graduate from high school.
“There is no way to fill this void, and
this situation is very sad and worrying
,” Nazhand said.
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Aid agency Save the Children interviewed almost 1,700 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 17 in seven provinces to assess the impact of educational restrictions.
The survey, conducted in May and June and published on Wednesday, found that
more than 45% of girls are out of school
, compared to 20% of boys.
It also indicates that
26% of girls show symptoms of depression
, compared to 16% of boys.
Afghan girls read the Koran at the Noor Mosque on the outskirts of the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Maulvi Bakhtullah, the head of the mosque, said the number of girls going has multiplied after the closure of public schools. Ebrahim Noroozi / AP
Countries around the world cut off contributions and funds sent to Afghanistan in response to the Taliban takeover, and nearly the entire population of Afghanistan fell into poverty, with millions no longer able to feed their families.
Teachers, parents and experts warn that the country's multiple crises, including the devastating collapse of the economy, are proving
especially damaging for girls
.
The Taliban have restricted women's work, encouraged them to stay home, and issued dress codes that require face coverings except the eyes, though these rules are not always enforced.
The international community is demanding that the Taliban open schools for all girls, and the US and European Union have created plans to pay teachers' salaries in Afghanistan directly, keeping the sector running without passing the funds through the taliban
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But the issue of girls' education appears to have become mired in behind-the-scenes differences between the Taliban.
Some in the movement support girls going back to school
, either because they see no religious objections or because they want better ties with the world.
Others, especially the rural tribal elders who form the backbone of the movement, are strongly opposed.
During their first rule of Afghanistan in the 1990s, the Taliban placed much tighter restrictions on women, banning all girls from school, preventing women from working and requiring them to wear a
full-covering
burqa
if they went out into the street.
In the 20 years after the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001, a whole generation of women returned to school and to work, especially in urban areas.
Apparently acknowledging those changes, the Taliban assured Afghans when they took back control last year that they would not return to heavy-handed policies.
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Fereshteh, an 11-year-old Shiite Hazara student, poses for a photo in her classroom in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, April 23, 2022. For most teenage girls in Afghanistan, it has been a year since they set foot in a classroom. Ebrahim Noroozi / AP
Officials have publicly insisted they will allow teenage girls to return to school, but say time is needed to work out the logistics
for strict gender segregation
to ensure an "Islamic framework."
Something hopeful happened in March: just before the new school year started, the Taliban Ministry of Education proclaimed that everyone could return.
But on March 23, the day of reopening, the decision was suddenly reversed, surprising even ministry officials.
Apparently, at the last minute, the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, decided to oppose the return to school.
Shekiba Qaderi, a 16-year-old girl, recalled how she had enlisted that day, and showed up to start 10th grade.
She and all her classmates were laughing and excited, until a teacher came in and told them to go home.
The girls burst into tears.
“
That was the worst moment of our lives
,” he said.
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Since then, he has been trying to keep up with studies at home, reading his textbooks, novels, and history books.
She is studying English through movies and YouTube videos.
There is unequal access to education that divides families.
Shekiba and a younger sister cannot go to their school, but her two brothers can.
Her older sister is in a private university studying law.
But that is little consolation, said her father, Mohammad Shah Qaderi.
Most teachers have left the country, bringing down the quality of education.
Even if the girl gets a college degree, "what's the benefit?"
asked Qaderi, a 58-year-old former government employee, now retired.
“
She won't have a job.
The Taliban will not allow him to work
,” she said.
The Taliban allow Afghan women to go to university, although with many restrictions
Sept.
13, 202100:24
Qaderi said she has always wanted her children to get a higher education.
Now that may be impossible, which is why he is thinking of leaving Afghanistan for the first time after years of war.
“
I cannot see them grow up before my eyes without education
;
it's just not acceptable to me,” she said.
Underground schools present another alternative, albeit with limitations.
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A month after the Taliban took power, Nazhand began teaching street children to read with informal outdoor classes in a neighborhood park.
Women who could not read or write began to participate.
Later, a benefactor who saw her in the park rented a house for her to teach, and bought tables and chairs.
Once she was able to teach indoors, she Nazhand included teenage girls who were no longer allowed to go to public school.
Now there are about 250 students, including 50 or 60 girls who go to grades above sixth.
Not only do I teach them school subjects, but I also try to teach them how to fight and defend their rights."
Sodaba Nazhand Girls Teacher
“Not only do I teach them school subjects, but I also try to teach them how to fight and stand up for their rights,” Nazhand said, noting that the Taliban have not changed since they first came to power in the late 1990s. the same Taliban, but we should not be the same women of those years.
We must fight: writing, raising our voice, in any way possible
, ”she indicated.
Afghan girls read the Koran at the Noor Mosque on the outskirts of the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Ebrahim Noroozi / AP
Nazhand's school and others like it are technically illegal under current Taliban restrictions, but they haven't shut hers down so far.
However, a person who runs a school like hers refused to speak to reporters for fear of possible repercussions.
Despite his unwavering commitment, Nazhand worries about the future of his school.
Her benefactor paid six months' rent on the house, but he recently died
and she has no way of continuing to pay rent or utilities.
For students, underground schools are a lifeline.
"It's so hard when you can't go to school," said Dunya Arbabzada.
“Every time I walk past my school and I see the door closed...it's very upsetting to me,” she said.