Gender Inequality in Education in Afghanistan: Access and Barriers

Abstract: Female education in Afghanistan has witnessed a number of ups and downs throughout the history of Afghanistan. In the history of Afghanistan, the people who suffered the most in the part of education were female. From the very beginning, female education was not that much satisfied prior to the civil war in Afghanistan but the three-decade civil war and conflicts made the situations worse for female learners. It was the government of Taliban (1996-2001) when the female education fell to 0%. Hopes came to lives with the establishment of the new government and support of the international community in 2001. However, after sixteen long years, the female education is still substandard. The focus of this study is on the unequal access to females and males in primary, secondary and particularly at higher education. The study will also explore the major obstacles that hamper females’ education. This study is based on the collection of data available in different research papers, educational articles, reports and numerous other related sources.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD, 2024

Afghanistan's history of female education has been marked by many obstacles and disappointments. The most disadvantaged group in terms of educational chances is Afghan women, who have had to overcome major barriers to obtain an education. This paper delves into historical context of female education in Afghanistan, shedding light on hurdles and impediments women have had to overcome. It explores how different historical periods, such as Taliban’s era and the post-2001, have impacted female education in Afghanistan. With the resurgence of the Taliban in 2021, the study also assesses the current state of women’s education in the country. Moreover, the paper examines the legal and cultural factors that have shaped women access to education in Afghanistan. It identifies persistent obstacles that continue to hinder women from receiving an education, despite efforts to improve access and opportunities.

2012

The Afghanistan Gender Mainstreaming Implementation Note Series disseminates the findings of sector work in progress and best practices to staff of the Government of Afghanistan (GoA), its implementing partners and agencies, and other practitioners, all of whom are responsible for developing and implementing government programs. The objective of this particular Note is to influence policy and program design in order to increase girls' educational attainments, especially in higher secondary schools in rural areas, where female access to education is most limited. The lack of access to education for girls and women in Afghanistan is the result of a number of barriers, outlined below. In discussing these barriers, the Implementation Note will present a range of recommendations that can be used to improve education outcomes for girls and women.

International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 2020

This research aims to find the size of the gender gap in education in the ten provinces of the Eastern Region (ER) and the South-Eastern Region (SER) of Afghanistan. Based on the World Economic Forum (WEF) approach to the gender gap, the study measures the educational gender gap index (EGGI) at both the regional and provincial level. The study found that the regional EGGI is 0.30. This means that 70% of the gender gap remains. The EGGI in the ER is 0.35, while in the SER it is 0.25, which means that 65% and 75% of the gender gap remains in the ER and the SER respectively. Thus, the gap is smaller in the ER than in the SER. At the provincial level, the best performing province is Nangarhar, where 42% of the gap has been closed. The worst performing province is Wardak, where only 15% of the gap has been closed. Of the six sub-indexes of the EGGI which were calculated from the primary data, the largest gender disparity is in the enrolment in tertiary level education, which has a gap of...

Open Access Library Journal, 2021

The developed nations around the world pay equal attention to boys' and girls' education. However, girls' education in two neighboring countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly in Pashtun societies is neglected. In these two countries, girls' education and their lowest enrollment are placed chiefly at the bottom end of educational system in comparison to their male counterparts and girls are likely to be submissive. In this regard, the present paper aims to explore the factors limiting girls' access to education in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The literature drawn from the two countries observed that centuries old norms, poverty, early marriages, lack of female teachers, and logistical and infrastructural obstacles contribute in girls' vulnerability regarding education.

2022

2019

The above quote derived from the Human Rights Watch 2017 report, perfectly depicts the state of female participation in post-secondary education. The struggle for gender equity and equal access for women in Afghanistan has been a particularly difficult one. This ongoing challenge cannot be viewed in isolation from the circumstances that the country experienced during the past decades of conflict and instability, which have impacted the current position of girls and women in both the private and public sphere. The successes and failures of gender equity in higher education in Afghanistan provide some important lessons for other developing countries. This includes the recognition of the importance of reestablishing policies; rules and regulations through strategic planning tailored for both faculty and students, in order to higher the educational standards available (Hayward, 2015). However, how can this be implemented and what have we achieved so far? These are questions we aim to ex...

This paper investigates about the Conditions of women education post 9/11 event in Kabul City, the capital of Afghanistan. Kabul is the most populous city of Afghanistan. In 2012 its total population was about 289,000 which rose to 3,678,034 in the year 2015. Afghanistan has been one of the countries that have been dominated by instability and conflicts and the education for Afghan women remains deplorable, despite rigorous efforts to improve their freedom, rights and quality of life. Pre 9/11 event, Afghanistan's education indicators have always been low (literacy rates have not risen above 25 percent in the last three decades) and the state's role in the provision of education has always been limited. Historically, mosques have been the main provider of education for children. Since the Unites States led alliance toppled the Taliban led government in November 2001, women in Afghanistan have gained greater freedom to participate in public life and have better access to education, health care, and employment. After 9/11, there has been some improvements in the educational sector of Afghanistan particularly Kabul City in the last decade. The number of student's enrolment has increased since 2002. The percentage of girls in primary schools has significantly increased according to 2011 data. The figures in high schools have also shown remarkable improvement. However, a dramatic increase has occurred in higher education in the years 2001 to 2012. Factors including Social-Cultural Barriers, Insecurity, Poverty, early marriage, Lack of female teachers, etc. were the main obstacles which affected female education.

Academia Letters, 2021

After the departure of the US military from Afghanistan, the country was in chaos. Many Afghans flew to the US and 97 other countries in the world as refugees. Afghanistan became a new country led by the Taliban, using Islamic law as the basis for the constitution. But at this point, education will be cut off for the people of Afghanistan, while education is the most crucial thing for the people (Jakes, 2021). It was quoted in the New York Times that the newly appointed Chancellor of Kabul University said that women would not be allowed to go to work or attend college classes. Despite the skepticism in the last statement, it is also quoted from the same article that women teaching and students at Afghan state universities are increasingly afraid that the Taliban will never let them return to their classes, and professors are flocking to quit or try to leave the country (Engelbrecht & Hassan, 2021). Moreover, this has become a most challenging issue, where if Afghanistan forms the Islamic Emirate, it will undoubtedly follow the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah in upholding education for the people. Seeing the fear spread in the media that women will not be able to take part in teaching and learning activities under Islamic rule, will this be a new historical polemic in the discrimination of women's education in the Islamic government? Islamic Commands in Seeking Knowledge for Men and Women When looking back on education from the Islamic perspective, education is a crucial obligation demanded from both men and women. Each gender has the right to study without

Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2023

This research examines the implementation of educational policies with a special focus on girls' education policy in Afghanistan. Education is a fundamental right and a driving force behind societal and personal advancement. Despite the existence of educational policies, many nations, like Afghanistan, still struggle with their proper implementation. This study aims to pinpoint the fundamental elements that influence how policies are carried out in Afghanistan and investigate the difficulties encountered when doing so, with a particular emphasis on the education of girls. This study makes recommendations to improve policy implementation procedures in Afghanistan through the use of a qualitative case study and examination of official documents, reports, and literature. It also aims to uncover the underlying drivers and causes of the implementation gap. Understanding the challenges and obstacles encountered in Afghanistan when putting educational policies into practice can advance knowledge of the implementation of policies in related fields and increase the efficacy of Afghan policies promoting gender equality and access to education. In general, the results obtained from this research show that the implementation of girls' education policy in Afghanistan has faced significant challenges due to factors such as limited infrastructure, insufficient resources, security threats, cultural norms and gender violence. In addition to recommendations such as strengthening cooperation, allocating resources, increasing teacher training, challenging cultural norms, and ensuring the coordination of related institutions. These suggestions can significantly improve policy implementation and promote gender equality in education in Afghanistan.