While women’s rights, particularly education for young women has been a hot button issue in certain parts of the world, the small town of Old Aqcha, Afghanistan has had their first group of female high school students graduate, with a class of 16.
While women’s rights, particularly education for young women has been a hot button issue in certain parts of the world, the small town of Old Aqcha, Afghanistan has had their first group of female high school students graduate, with a class of 16.
3 of the young women could not attend the graduation ceremony because it was held as a coed event with the male class.
Statistics show that although some 350 thousand young women have graduated from high school in Afghanistan during the last decade, only 26 percent of girls in the country make it past primary school.
Pressure from extremist groups like the Taliban and a male dominated culture have prevented the vast majority of young women in Afghanistan from being able to pursue an education.
Orzala Nemat, an Afghan academic and rights activist is quoted as saying: “The impact and the change needs to be measured in the rural communities that still make up the majority of this country. Yes, that change would be slower, but it would be more grounded.”
According to a report from the Asia Foundation, 5 percent of women in Afghanistan are employed and 17 percent said that a female member of their home contributes to the income.
What do you think about women‘s rights and education in Afghanistan?
