Over the past two years, much has changed on the ground in Afghanistan with regard to girls’ education since the Taliban retook control in August 2021. The regime has enacted harsh measures banning girls from secondary schools. As a consequence, close to 1.5 million girls have been deprived of what was already their fundamental right to education. More importantly, the Taliban has politicized educational goals to serve as a vehicle for its extremist ideology. Consequently, Afghanistan remains the only country in the world to restrict girls and women from accessing secondary and higher general education.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, secular schools and universities have closed their gates. This cuts many families’ access to education and women’s healthcare training options drastically. Confronted with these prohibitive factors, most girls are increasingly going to madrasas. These schools provide them the opportunity to become educated within a milieu that is better suited to the Taliban’s restructured educational set up.
The privately run Naji-e-Bashra madrasa has seen a significant increase in students. This spike comes just after the full effects of the Taliban’s cuts have taken hold. Here, girls are able to learn not just Islamic studies, but more conventional subjects such as science and the study of languages. Shafiullah Dilawar, a representative of the madrasa, noted, “The students are very happy with our environment, our curriculum, and us.”
Nargis, a teacher at the Naji-e-Bashra madrasa, spoke about her own experience in finding her way through these myriad challenges. She used to attend a private university, where she was studying economics. When the Taliban enforced a ban on women’s higher education, Shabnam had to abandon her education. Reflecting on this transition, she expressed the emotional toll it took on her and her students: “They didn’t eat anything for one month. They were distraught.” Guided by the fierce love for her students, Nargis decided she needed to support them with their homework as well. She accepted the risks associated with her choice. I understood that if so, they will get crazy in this kind of a way. Honestly, I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to just go support them while they were studying. At the very least, if I lose everything, I will have the courage to do this one thing,” she said.
Nargis wanted to express her frustration about the dhaka madrasa education system. “I never had any interest in attending a madrasa. They do not teach us what we need to learn,” she lamented. In madrasas, the curriculum tends to reinforce traditional gender roles, including prioritizing subjects considered culturally acceptable for women in Afghan society. Dilawar explained that “the curriculum that is set in the madrasa is set in a way that it is very beneficial for the role of mothers in society, so they can raise good children.”
The Taliban’s educational policies have not only limited their intellectual potential but posed a psychological threat to girls’ wellbeing. One unnamed student voiced her anxiety about the risks surrounding her education: “It’s very dangerous. There’s not one day in the week that I can relax. Every day when they come to me, I worry so much. It makes me mad. It’s a big risk.”
In spite of these hazards and shortcomings, the majority of families interviewed reported contentment with the education offered through madrasas. Other parents feel that this type of education honors cultural traditions while providing a way for their daughters to receive an education. Nida Mohammad Nadim, a religious school teacher, is in no doubt when she says that girls must be educated. He insists that their education should be in line with Islamic culture and maintain Afghan dignity. She shared her concerns about subjects such as agriculture and engineering being taught to girls, stating, “Girls were studying agriculture and engineering, but this doesn’t match Afghan culture.”
The Taliban’s impact stretches well beyond the classroom. It has further resulted in dire financial repercussions that continue to undermine educational initiatives for Afghan girls. The resulting cancellation of $1.7 billion in aid contracts has hit hard programs in favor of educating girls. It’s deeply and negatively affected the nation’s healthcare training programs. This fiscal crisis compounds a tense reality for those pursuing an education.
In July 2023, the International Criminal Court sought arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders due to evidence of crimes against humanity based on their treatment of women and girls. Together, these actions demonstrate the international community’s increasing alarm over the Taliban’s repressive campaign to deny women and girls an education.
Yet, as Afghanistan continues to find its way through this difficult terrain, the ultimate fate of girls’ education hangs in a precarious balance. Many young women like Nargis reflect on their aspirations and the drastic changes imposed by the current regime: “For what are we trying so hard? For what job and what future?” With schooling opportunities rapidly disappearing and gender roles rapidly changing, uncertainty about what comes next reverberates through communities all over Afghanistan.
