Education for Girls in Afghanistan (notes from RI Convention 2016)
Posted by Vivian Smith
GIRLS'SCHOOLS IN AFGHANISTAN WONDER "WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS"
Beth Murphy , a Documentary Film Maker, Journalist Founder , Principle Pictures, shared her experiences in Afghanistan with regard to education for girls.
The Founder of the first girls' school in Kabul was Razia Jan who was born in Afghanistan and received a scholarship to Georgetown University. This was before the invasion by Russia. Her parents told her to remain in the U.S.A.
Later in life she returned to Afghanistan determined to establish a school for girls. The male elders insisted that the school should be for boys, but Razia refused and so the school was started.
Many difficulties were faced along with six brutal attacks including bombing, gas and poison. In one attack the water supply was poisoned and 100 girls died. Now one elderly woman from the community tastes the water every day and states, " I am only one person at risk but I will save the girls".
Today there are 200 girls enrolled and the first class graduates this year. As one student stated, " I have some education now. I know how a woman should live. I have learned what is right and what is wrong. "
There are a number of challenges. One is that some of the girls are forced into marriage as young as 13 years of age which forces them to abandon school. There are severe threats to the families from the Taliban to attempt to stop the girls going to school. A fear that once the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan the Taliban will take over the government.
The plan for the future is to build a college so the girls can continue their education. At the moment there is no college close enough for these girls to attend and parents will not allow them to leave their homes to travel to the nearest college which is many kilometers away.
This could be a great opportunity for Rotarians to join in this effort.
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Beth Murphy , a Documentary Film Maker, Journalist Founder , Principle Pictures, shared her experiences in Afghanistan with regard to education for girls.
The Founder of the first girls' school in Kabul was Razia Jan who was born in Afghanistan and received a scholarship to Georgetown University. This was before the invasion by Russia. Her parents told her to remain in the U.S.A.
Later in life she returned to Afghanistan determined to establish a school for girls. The male elders insisted that the school should be for boys, but Razia refused and so the school was started.
Many difficulties were faced along with six brutal attacks including bombing, gas and poison. In one attack the water supply was poisoned and 100 girls died. Now one elderly woman from the community tastes the water every day and states, " I am only one person at risk but I will save the girls".
Today there are 200 girls enrolled and the first class graduates this year. As one student stated, " I have some education now. I know how a woman should live. I have learned what is right and what is wrong. "
There are a number of challenges. One is that some of the girls are forced into marriage as young as 13 years of age which forces them to abandon school. There are severe threats to the families from the Taliban to attempt to stop the girls going to school. A fear that once the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan the Taliban will take over the government.
The plan for the future is to build a college so the girls can continue their education. At the moment there is no college close enough for these girls to attend and parents will not allow them to leave their homes to travel to the nearest college which is many kilometers away.
This could be a great opportunity for Rotarians to join in this effort.
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