Tag: education

Insight into Women and Education in the Middle East

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Education of young women in the Middle East.
Education of young women in the Middle East.

Ignorance on issues of international significance is the root of many misunderstandings. The plight of women and education in the Middle East is one such topic. After speaking with Dr. Alfons Teipen, a religion professor here at Furman, I gained some knowledge on a previous topic in my blog that focused on women and education in the Middle East, particularly Afghanistan.

Here are some startling statistics regarding women just in Afghanistan:

  • Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies during childbirth
  • 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate
  • 30 percent of girls have access to education in Afghanistan
  • 1 in every 3 Afghan women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence
  • 44 years is the average life expectancy rate for women in Afghanistan
  • 70 to 80 percent of women face forced marriages in Afghanistan

Obviously education is not the only issue for females in the Middle East.  However, having widespread accessibility to education will slowly impact and improve other aspects of women’s lives.

Before speaking with Dr. Teipen, I was under the assumption that the efforts for women to gain education were minimal and that the root of this was their religion of Islam.  He erased these false thoughts when he informed me that it has more to do with their patriarchal culture and the Taliban’s skewed interpretations of original Islamic texts.

In this brief interview with Dr. Teipen, he explained the history and significance of the plight of women’s education in the Middle East as well as comparing it to our Western ideals.

Let’s hear what he had to say: Dr. Teipen Audio Clip

Testing Furman Students' "Green" Knowledge

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How do Furman students feel about environmental policy?
How do Furman students feel about environmental policy?

There are a lot of changes going on in the United States and in Europe regarding environmental policy.  Even so, I think that it will be up to my generation to make a lot of the decisions regarding this issue.  Because of this, I wanted to see how college seniors, about to enter into the real world, felt about environmental policy and how they would be willing to change in order lower there environmental impact.

I talked with Susanna Guffey and Allie Pinkerton about these issues.  Both discussed learning experiences through Furman and how they helped them better understand the depth of environmental policy.  For Susanna, it was through interning with a member of the European Parliament in Brussels during a Furman study abroad trip.  For Allie, it is through an environmental sociology class.

I believe that education is going to be a part of how the United States deals with environmental issues.  The experiences of these two students show that learning opportunities about what we are doing, and what other parts of the world, including Europe are doing, will help to push more environmental policy.  This is the only way that we can “catch up to Europe,” as Allie said.

I also spoke with them about what they would be willing to do to help reduce our country’s environmental impact.  They said

  • Unplug cords
  • Use energy efficient light bulbs
  • Buy Energy Star products

To listen to more of what they had to say on environmental policy, check out this podcast:

student interviews

Also check out photos about what we discussed.

Overall, based on the students I talked with, Furman students have good “green” knowledge based on what Furman is teaching students about living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Photo Sources:

Furman, Parliament, Eco House

Am I Allowed to Read?

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Education of females is vital to the nation's future.
Education of females is vital to the nation's future.

Just imagine not being able to read.  Even more shocking, imagine being  denied the opportunity to learn how. 

 An eight year old girl, Arzo admitted, “My father does not know that I am here.” “It’s my mother who has begged the teacher to take me in.”

 Mariam, is a fourteen year old tenth grade student who teaches at one of these informal schools and hopes to become a professor one day.  She teaches math and how to read and write in the local language, Dari.

“A typical day in my life starts at 3 a.m.,” she says. “I do my ablutions and pray. From 5 a.m., I clean the house and help my mother with breakfast. Then I am walking to school, which takes about 30 minutes. Our literacy class starts at 2 p.m. at the house next door. Before the lesson starts, I check the homework of my students.”

For Farida Dastgeer, a 65-year-old student, she is just learning how to read since her father never allowed her. “My whole life, I felt excluded from what’s going on,” she says. “This is about to change now. Next year, I will be able to read the announcements in the newspaper and the price tags in shops.”

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund is an agency, created by the United Nations General Assembly that focuses on improving the health and nutrition of children and mothers throughout the world.  Since 2008, UNICEF has supported informal literacy centers throughout the country. 

I cannot even fathom not being able to read yet alone not being allowed to.  Literacy is vital to promoting females in Afghanistan and securing a future.

Slideshow on Flickr of Education in Afghanistan

In the Spotlight: U.S. Soldiers

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Image Source: Spirit of America- Backpacks Delivered to Afghan Schools
Image Source: Spirit of America- Backpacks Delivered to Afghan Schools

School supplies are necessary in order to be a successful student which is a luxury that Afghan children are not given.

 The United States forces are doing their part to help re-establish the education system.  Specifically the Army’s 649th Regional Support Group is providing school supplies in the Kandahar province for both teachers and students. 

Iowa native Army 2nd Lt. Shaela Bresnan, Backpacks for Afghanistan program coordinator stated, “Unfortunately, children here lack the opportunities to educate themselves. Even when they have access to a school that they are able to attend, they do not have the physical resources to get the most out of their education.”

Backpacks for Afghanistan program began in August 2009 and will give local students to receive backpacks with five pencils, three pens, two colored pencils, a pencil sharpener, two erasers, two notebooks and two folders. Teachers will receive a kit with classroom materials such as world maps, construction paper and small chalkboards. 

“When I was a little boy, if someone had given me a pen instead of a gun, this country would be a better place,” said Afghan Col. Haji Toor Jan, Afghanistan National Police security commander of civil affairs. “The program is very good for our future. Our people will one day have doctors, pilots and engineers. This will be our future.”  

Many schools and churches and other organizations have even donated to the Backpacks for Afghanistan program.  Even you can contribute and assist with this worthy cause.

“If you change the life of a child, you change the world,” commented Army Sgt. 1st Class Elaine Holten, A Backpacks for Afghanistan organizer from Florida.

Check out this YouTube video of “Colorado for Kabul Kids” a non-profit group who provided backpacks and even you can contribute to this worthy cause.

Afghanistan's Future: Importance of Education

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Source: World Bank- Education in Afghanistan
Source: World Bank- Education in Afghanistan
Source: World Bank- Skills Development in Afghanistan
Source: World Bank- Skills Development in Afghanistan

 

Some students are not as fortunate to be brought up in a culture that has access to quality education which we as Furman students often take for granted.  I will take a look at the education in Afghanistan and the challenges and improvements that are taking place. Before reading on, watch this YouTube video provided by the IRC: International Rescue Committee that focuses on Afghan education.

Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, enrollment was approximately 43% for boys and only 3% for girls. Females had been forbidden to attend school or teach during this time and only 21,000 highly under-educated teachers existed (which equaled 240 students per teacher). The International Development Association (IDA)  has helped finance multiple initiatives (such as Afghanistan Skills Development Project  in hopes to increase the number of immediately-employable graduates by building a system that is equitable, market responsive, and cost-effective) providing grants to all 34 provinces.   Funds provide teacher training, educational materials, construction, and curriculum standards. 

  • Enrollment: in grades 1-12 increased from 3.9 million in 2004 to 6.2 million in 2008
  • Girls’ Enrollment: increased from 839,000 to more than 2.2 million
  • Boys’ Enrollment: increased from 2.6 million to 3.9 million
  • Training: 32,467 teachers took a comprehensive training module (160,000 teachers total in Afghanistan)
  • Construction: 58 schools (mainly for girls) were refurbished or built

Currently, Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund approved on January 29, 2010 will have contributions  used to finance Afghanistan’s education program and the Education Quality Improvement Program will assist with basic education, school construction, and school upgrades.  Committees are composed of local community members and they form partnerships with the local government to manage education needs.  Such education is key to foster an outlook for a positive future for the country by eliminating poverty and decreasing the gender gap.

Lending a Helpful Hand: Foreign Aid

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uncle sam foreign aid

As Furman students, we often get trapped in the “Furman bubble” and sometimes neglect to see what is truly going on in the world around us.  We often take things such as our education and health for granted.  My goal in this blog over the semester is to focus on various aspects of the United States and international organizations assisting in foreign countries with an emphasis on education and health aid among other human interest topics.  My sources will include USAID, IRC, World Bank, the UN and UNICEF as well as interviews from experts, classmates, and professors.  By doing this I hope to provide valuable insight into this aspect of U.S. foreign aid and hopefully enable my peers to be educated and formulate their own opinions on international issues.