Girls education

DAIKUNDI, AFGHANISTAN – “I am happy that I can help my father to read phone numbers.” 9-year-old Khadija lives in Afghanistan’s remote central highlands with her parents and three siblings. Until recently, she was one of millions of children not in school, as around half of children in Afghanistan do not attend primary school.   But Khadija’s…, Havens of learning and safety, Khadija had not been able to attend school for years. Her village lacked schools and classrooms, and Khadija had never been able to read or write even simple text. For many children like her, schools are more than places of learning. They offer safety, a chance to meet and play with other children. They help deter child labour and shelter children…, A friendly and fun new classroom, To Khadija’s delight, UNICEF established a new community-based classroom in her village in Daikundi. UNICEF helped select and train the teacher and continues to pay her salary, and provided materials like textbooks, backpacks, exercise books and pens for the students. In 2023, UNICEF supported over 21,000 community-based education classes across…, Parents supporting education in the community, Community-based classes like this one provide children in rural, hard-to-reach, or economically disadvantaged areas a pathway to quality education – at no cost. And when UNICEF establishes one of these classes, the entire community is mobilized. UNICEF and partners raise awareness about the importance of education, encouraging parents to send…

Sadaf, Sadaf is one of 4,000 girls enrolled in her girls’ school in western Afghanistan. She loves to learn, but struggled to stay in school when her time of the month approached. Her school did not have clean toilets, running water, or even soap where she could wash her hands. “I am 11 years old now. I know there will be many changes in my body as I…, Fariza, Less than half of children under 12 are attending primary school, and 60 per cent of those not in school are girls. But 13-year-old Fariza is not one of them. "I love school. It brightens my future, builds up my education, and I learn about life," says Fariza.  In 2023, UNICEF supported 5.7 million children in public schools – 40 per cent of them…, Rahima, Infrastructure and safe schools are just a piece of the puzzle to build a quality education. In Afghanistan, the quality of learning is among the lowest in the world. Just over 13 per cent of children in Grades 2 and 3 have basic reading skills, and only 18 per cent have basic numeracy skills. But Rahima, a teacher in Afghanistan's central…, Amina, Education offers a ladder out of poverty and a pathway to a better future. But education also takes many forms, and 15-year-old Amina ( name changed ) learns in a classroom of a different kind. For some girls, vocational education offers opportunities towards self-employment and a reliable income. Amina joined a tailoring class in 2023, after she…

At 10 years old, Zainab had never been to school and could not read or write her own name. She watched as girls and boys her age walked past her shoeshine box on their way to and from school. Zainab worked on the streets in Balkh, northern Afghanistan, for two years. She polished shoes near the town mosque from around 9 in the morning to 4 in the…

"I told my mother: 'Please, do not use this money to buy food for us, just keep the money for our education.' " 15-year-old Nahila is the eldest of six girls. Her mother, Saeed Khanum, was already married by the time she was Nahila’s age, but wants a better life for her daughters than she had for herself. "My husband works a few days a week doing…, One girl in Nuristan and one million others, “I want my daughters to have careers,” says Saeed Khanum wistfully. “Maybe one could be a doctor, and the other an engineer.” But without an education, for 15-year-old Nahila and 1 million other girls in Afghanistan barred from secondary school, there is little hope for this dream to come true. Just 40 per cent of children in Nuristan attend…, Daring to dream, For Sayeed Khanum, who just received her third round of cash assistance, the choice is clear. “I used the previous two rounds of cash assistance to buy books and notebooks for my youngest daughters in primary school, and to enroll my older daughters in private courses.  I will use this cash to continue paying for these private courses.” Saeed…, Communities coming together, Cash assistance is unconditional, meaning families can use the cash in the ways they feel are best. So, why would Saeed Khanum and other parents choose to use this cash for education? UNICEF interviewed 440 parents in Nuristan, plus 84 girls and 300 teachers, to understand how these communities perceive the importance of girls’ education. Focus…, Nothing but education, In their tiny, one-room house, warmed by a wood burning stove in the centre of the room, Nahila and her sisters bend over their schoolbooks. In the dim light, they whisper lines to themselves from their lessons, tracing the text on the page with a finger. The youngest, 5-year-old Fariha, not yet old enough for school, scribbles some doodles in a…

Today is Zahra’s* fourth counselling session. It’s still a long road to recovery, but the 16-year-old has made remarkable progress from the depressed and anxious girl she was a few months ago. News of the March 2022 ban on girls’ secondary education hit Zahra hard. She was sad, isolated, and barely spoke to anyone at home. She could no longer see…, A mental health sanctuary for children, Dr. Hamedi is the only female child psychiatrist in Afghanistan. She says there are many children in a similar situation as Zahra. “The most common causes of depression among adolescent girls who come to the centre are related to restrictions on education, forced marriage, domestic violence, and poverty. For adolescent boys, it is often linked to…, Deferred dreams, Zahra wants to be a doctor, but she doesn’t know if she will ever go back to school. For now, the counselling sessions help her overcome her depression, while her mother and uncle keep her occupied at home with some reading and writing assignments. Every morning, Zahra watches her younger sister go to school, wishing she could join her. But Zahra…, More child psychiatrists, more training required, This centre is the only one of its kind in all of Afghanistan. No other centre offers specialized mental health and psychosocial support for children and young people. UNICEF continues to support this centre with funding through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and the European Union. For Zahra, the centre is a lifeline. But for…

PAKTIKA & KHOST PROVINCES – You might remember Naghma , Gulaba and Kefayat . They are just three faces of hundreds who lost family members, homes, and possessions in Afghanistan’s devastating earthquake last year. But a lot can change in a year. Hours spent fetching water gave way to time with family. Feelings of isolation were abandoned for…, Naghma, With a bright smile and even brighter blue eyes, surrounded by toys and friends, Naghma radiates with delight. The room around her is alive with giggles and games. Seven-year-old Naghma lost her father in the earthquake last year. Since then, she has found comfort in this child-friendly space, one of 24 which UNICEF established in Paktika and…, Gulaba, “Before this classroom was here, I knew nothing.” Last year, Gulaba and her family lost everything: their home, their livestock, and even Gulaba’s 10-year-old sister, Mah Gul. Gulaba was despondent, with nothing to occupy her mind as she grieved. But this year, Gulaba stands resolute at the front of her new classroom. In Gayan and four other…, Kefayat, 9-year-old Kefayat used to spend his days in the mountains, sometimes wandering aimlessly, sometimes herding goats and picking up sticks for firewood. Nestled between hills, hours away from paved roads, Mir Sapar village is one of the most remote in Khost Province. Last year, after the earthquake shook those hills, UNICEF established new community…

"I began to feel a deep voice in my heart. It wants to scream out – so loud – and I feel like something inside of me needs to escape." Children around Afghanistan grabbed their backpacks, uniforms and pencils, rejoicing as schools reopened in March after the long winter break. But for 1 million girls, the year only promises crushed hopes and…, Arezo, "It has been more than 540 days since I have been in a classroom. I’ve been counting. If schools do not open, I will have to keep counting and this depression will keep going." Arezo would have been in grade 11 this year - her penultimate year of secondary school. But now her heart is heavy with the rubble of her crushed dreams. She wanted to…, Mursal, "After the schools closed, I continued learning at home. I started learning guitar by watching videos online." "The initial weeks were gruesome and very tiresome. I did not have any hope at first. But then I told myself, 'Mursal, you cannot just stay still.' So I started studying from some of the books I have at home. I wanted to keep myself busy…, Rabia, "For every year of my studies, I have been first in my class."  At 16, Rabia should be attending high school and looking towards university. She would be in grade 11 this year, but her opportunities are now murky as the classroom remains off limits for her. But Rabia is determined to keep learning, in any way can. "I have been trying to study on…

Dari version:  Statement by UNICEF Afghanistan Representative, Mohamed Ayoya_Dari Here Pashto version:  Statement by UNICEF Afghanistan Representative, Mohamed Ayoya_Pashto Here One year on, Afghanistan, already strained by decades of insecurity and natural disasters, and now distanced from the global community, has further deteriorated. The…

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN – Fatima was born with a disability which confines her to a wheelchair. When she started school, she endured bullying and insults. She would often come home crying. But her parents were supportive, and Fatima refused to give up on herself. In 2018, she joined a wheelchair basketball team organized by a community…

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – When Hadisa was 18, she founded SearchPath, a recruitment company which placed over 350 candidates into jobs and provided training and skills development for over 2,000 girls. But one company was not enough for Hadisa. She also founded TechBano when she was 20, an IT company based in Afghanistan which developed websites,…

Design #1 in Mozhdah's illustration diary. Caption provided by the artist in July 2022., 2001, The collapse of the government 20 years ago and the start of girls’ schools after six years. Little girls went to school and studied under the shadow of relative peace for 20 years. They were happy that maybe a future waited for them, but unfortunately it was just a dream. Design #2 in Mozhdah's illustration diary. Caption provided by the artist…, 15 August 2021, The collapse of the Afghan government after 20 years. The start of war and the loss of peace. Afghanistan returns to 20 years ago. Fear and apprehension from little girls who have now grown up. They studied for 20 years, and now they are thinking about their unknown future. It is painful to think about... Will we study again or have a job? Will we…, 26 October 2021, Mothers forced to sell little girls due to poverty. This shows the real failure of a country. In Afghanistan, all the unpleasant problems must be borne by a woman. This is something that is not new; it began in the past and has only intensified. 9 February 2022: Massive demonstrations of Afghan women and girls against the regulations imposed by…, 9 February 2022, Massive demonstrations of Afghan women and girls against the regulations imposed by the government. Women proved that they will defend their rights. They will keep trying to be able to enjoy their value as a human. We want to be supported to get out of this crisis. 20 February 2022: Imprisonment of protesting women and forced confessions., 20 February 2022, Imprisonment of protesting women and forced confessions. No one has the right to protest in Afghanistan. We have to live like a slave to save our lives. 23 March 2022: More than 300 days have passed since schools were closed for girls. This is a great tragedy for all of Afghanistan., 23 March 2022, More than 300 days have passed since schools were closed for girls. This is a great tragedy for all of Afghanistan. Education is the right of all human beings, because the growth of a society is directly related to this issue. Women and girls are gradually being excluded from society, but unfortunately, I see that this big issue is being forgotten…, 19 May 2022, Mandatory hijab for women. Female television presenters must cover their faces. Women should not be seen in society. This is disappointing for all Afghan women. In my opinion, covering women's faces without their consent is a humiliation. We are insulted here for the crime of being women. 19 July 2022: In several provinces of the country, due to…, 19 July 2022, In several provinces of the country, due to poverty and violence, 27 people committed suicide in the last two months, including women. Various sanctions against women have existed for a long time. A woman in Afghanistan can never live completely as she wants. The forced imposition of a life against women's will causes them to commit suicide. 20…, 20 July 2022, According to the new laws, Afghan women can no longer continue their work. Women in Afghanistan should ignore all their past efforts for development of the country and stay at home. These laws are unreasonable! In the last 20 years, women have made a lot of effort to develop the society. It is cruel to ignore all our efforts and force us to stay…, Note from the artist, My name is Mozhdah. I am 24 years old, born in western Afghanistan. I have been painting since childhood and I have always loved art. My interest in art grew so fast, and I could not separate it from my life. By using visual, auditory, and written components, I turned external realities into works of art. I realized that expressing issue and…

Herat, Afghanistan, 22 November 2020 – Hasiba, a 14-year old girl enjoys learning and going to school.  Yet, buying stationery materials has become impossible. ‘I love to go to school to learn so that I can land a good job in the future to support my family,’ says Hasiba.  ‘Yet, my father is jobless for over a month now, and he cannot afford…