Tag: women

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

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