Afghanistan Bans Secondary Education For Girls: A Step Towards Regressive Era
Afghanistan Bans Secondary Education For Girls: A Step Towards Regressive Era
Raghavendra
Yadav*
Women
are known as “Aadhi Abadi” or “Aadhi Duniya” which means “Half of the World”.
As per this situation, half of the world’s resources should be accessible to
women, but unfortunately, there is not a single country in the world, in which,
women have access to half of all resources. Even in the 21st century, the
proportion of women is not equal to men in education, administration, economic,
socio-political and other spheres. This inequality is prevalent in societies all
over the world making colossal waste of female talent. In some countries, the
condition of women is bad as that of men and in some countries, it is worse.
The main reason behind it is conservative customs and a patriarchy-based society
that prevents women from working alongside men. They impose unnecessary
traditional norms on women in various areas by preventing girls from education,
shrinking girls' opportunities and restricting girls' rights & liberty and
as a result, most women are still denied basic rights to education, employment,
freedom of speech and even independent identity. So, it is today’s need, to
eradicate these gender biases, upswing the status of women and offer them equal
opportunities in all arenas without any discrimination. Dr. B. R. Ambedakar,
who is internationally known as the ‘Symbol of Knowledge’ gave his volumetric
view on women empowerment and said, “I measure the progress of a community by
the degree of progress which women have achieved.” If girls are denied
secondary education it means they cannot pursue higher education and a country
that does not educate women cannot progress.
A
person cannot be denied an education because she is a girl. If an individual or
group is denied education on the basis of gender, caste, religion, race, color,
region, etc., then they are being deprived of their human rights and
fundamental rights. No government should be given the right to destroy people's
human rights and fundamental rights. People from all genders should be treated
equally to get an education. Every country of the world must have an equal
education policy for all without any discrimination on the basis of gender,
caste, religion, race, color, region, etc.
The Taliban rule has temporarily banned girls' secondary education in
Afghanistan based on the argument that the previous education pattern was not
in consonance with the core tenets of Islam. They claim that they are formulating
new laws for girls’ secondary education as per Islamic pattern. If as per their
argument, the previous education pattern for girls’ secondary education was not
in tune with the core belief of Islam then the question that arises is, was the
earlier education pattern in Afghanistan for girls’ primary education in tune
with Islam? Why are they not making new laws for girls’ primary and higher
education? Another question, was the earlier education pattern in Afghanistan
for men/boys in line with Islamic value? If they are making a new law for
girls’ secondary education then why are they not making a new law for boys’
education as per their interpretation of Islam? Is the Islamic education
pattern of the Taliban rule different from other Muslim countries? Several
Islamic countries have provisions for equal access to education for all citizen
including girls. If they are providing education to all without gender
discrimination then why is the Taliban rule discriminating on the basis of
gender? Perhaps, the Taliban rule does not know what is the Islamic provision
of education for girls? So they banned it. If there is a provision in Islam to provide
education to girls then why is it not in practiced in Afghanistan, and who has
given the rights to men or state or society to ban girls’ education? There is
discrimination in the Taliban rule. So, the Taliban rule should rethink their
decision on Girls' secondary education ban in Afghanistan and should amend it
appropriately.
There
is a Chinese proverb, "If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a seed. If
you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking one hundred
years ahead, educate the people. When you sow the seed, you will reap a single
harvest, when you teach the people, you will reap of hundred harvests".
Kuan Tzu (551-479BC) By temporarily banning secondary education for girls, the
Taliban rule is destroying Afghanistan's hundred years of planning. If
restrictions on girls' education continue in Afghanistan then they will be
laying a perfect foundation for a regressive society. In low-income,
low-middle-income countries, and countries that are more conservative, gender inequality is more rampant. Afghanistan is one among them where there
are unnecessary restrictions are imposed by the Taliban rule. The famous
economist and Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen said, “We cannot make a good
future in absence of women’s empowerment”. He also said empowering women is key
to building a future we want”. Women’s empowerment leads to raising the status
of women and enable them to become independent and stand on their own legs and
is necessary for the betterment of half of the world and for uplifting the
whole world. There is a famous African proverb, “If you educate a man you
educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family
(nation).” Dr. James Kwegyir-Aggrey (1875-1927). If the Taliban rule will not
educate women then it means they are not educating the nation. In this regard,
Swami Vivekananda said, “There is no change for the welfare of the world unless
the condition of women is improved; it is not possible for a bird to fly on
only one wing.”
If
any religious text or government rule prevents women from getting educated or
if there is any discrimination on the basis of gender, caste, class, creed,
race…. etc then it is against the human rights and fundamental rights of the
people. So, the concerned officials of that country should re-think on it. If
there is an issue of the Islamic pattern behind current Girls’ secondary
education ban in Afghanistan then the world leaders of Islamic countries should
engage in dialogue on girls’ education with the Taliban rulers. It is factually
wrong that in Islam there is a gender bias to get an education. The interpretation
of Taliban rulers are erroneous because they are not educated. Therefore, the
Taliban rulers must be educated first to change their perception on education
of girls and women. Such biases were also prevented earlier in India, for
instance as per the Manusmriti Sanhita, the Shudra and women were not given the
right to get an education but after social reform, they were allowed to get education
without any discrimination. International organizations including the United
Nations, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the World Bank,
the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, world’s leaders
who support girl education, social activists, civil society and other
individuals should raise their voices against this draconian, unequal and
discriminatory law of Afghanistan’s Taliban rule. Students from Universities,
Institutes, colleges and schools across the world should stand in solidarity
with the right to education movement of Afghanistan’s girls because to get an
education, equal opportunity must be given to all human beings in every country
of the world.
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*Author is Ph.D. Scholar, Centre
for Studies in Economics & Planning, Central University of Gujarat, India.
He can be contacted thru raghavendra.pahal50@gmail.com
For blog related queries info.raw2022@gmail.com
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