Difference between Girls and Boys education

  Written by: Mir Aqa Etibar

Many parents in Afghanistan wish to have educated children but some parents differentiate between their daughters and sons education. AEPP’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue.

Samiullah, a resident of Sayad district, Kapisa province says: “My father did allow my sister to study school and he thought that school is only for boys. Our other villagers also do not allow their daughters to school.”

Lema, a resident of Nangarhar province says: “as my parents are uneducated and they do not know about the importance of education, so they did not let us go to school.”

The impact of this issue on girls’ psyche:

A girl, who does not want to mention her name says: “my parents differentiate between me and my brothers’ education. They prepare the best things for them but they buy the cheap and ordinary stationeries and other school equipment for me but I try more in school lessons than my brothers and I get good numbers in the exams. When I come back from school, they even do not ask about my school lesson or school assignments but they encourage my brothers to study hard and help them in their daily lessons and school assignments. My brothers go to education courses but I am not allowed. It badly affects me. Sometimes I got a headache and I could not learn my school lesson.”

Lema says: “when parents did not allow me to go to school and they allowed my brothers, this manner badly affected me and I did not like to talk with my parents.”

Zahra Husaini, a professor of psychology, education university of Ustad Burhanuddin Rabbani, Kabul city says: “Whenever parents differ in their daughter's and son's education, it causes the girl to be isolated, she might not have self-confidence, and she might not have good behavior with her family members, especially her brothers. If she is not educated, he would not be aware of her rights and she would not be aware of the rights of others and she might face violence in her father-in-law’s house after marriage.”

What does Islam say about girls’ education?

Islamic scholar, Sayed Mustafa Hamas says: “Islam orders justice for all. It’s the job of the parents to provide justice among their children. If parents oppress and hate their daughters and appreciate and love their sons, it is considered a big sin. It means that their Judgement Day might be darken.”

Nooria Nuhzat, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan says: “According to Chapter II, Article 46 of the Constitution of Afghanistan, education is the right of all citizens of Afghanistan, B.A degree in government schools and institutions is free. According to this article, girls and boys, women and men are all citizens of Afghanistan. Article 3 points out that all citizens of Afghanistan, without any discrimination, have equal education rights.”