• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo
  • John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies
  • Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

College dreams dashed as young Afghan women fight to keep poverty at bay

Towleroad February 25, 2022 Leave a Comment

Published by
Reuters
497200 origin 1

KABUL (Reuters) – As students return to universities across Afghanistan this month, law major Waheeda Bayat will not be among them.

The 24-year-old was looking forward to resuming her course at the private Gawharshad University in Kabul, but amid an economic collapse that has dragged millions of Afghans into poverty, she cannot afford to go back.

“I'm so happy to see my university,” she said, walking past her old campus on a recent sunny day.

“But I wish I could continue my studies, wish I could spend time with my classmates and teachers, and wish I could go to the library to study.”

Although the hardline Islamist Taliban are allowing women back into colleges – girls and women were banned from education the last time they ruled – Bayat must focus instead on providing food and shelter for her family of nine.

An abrupt halt to most aid to Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in August has plunged the country into crisis.

Kabul parks have become shanty towns as people from rural areas seek aid; malnourished newborns fill hospital wards; up to 97 percent of Afghans could be living below the poverty line by the second half of 2022, the U.N.'s development agency has said.

The impact on women has been disproportionately large.

Data show women have lost jobs at a higher rate than men in recent months – some were thrown out of work due to Taliban restrictions in the immediate aftermath of their conquest – and some rights won over 20 years of Western-backed governments have been reversed.

Bayat used to fund her studies from her job at a local media network, where she earned 12,000 Afghanis ($132) a month.

But after she and her mother lost their jobs, Bayat manages only 8,000 Afghanis making traditional clothes with her sisters – money that must stretch to support the whole family.

“We are worried that Waheeda can't continue her studies,” her mother, Marzia, told Reuters in their three-bedroom home in the west of the capital. “She is a hard-working girl. I wish I could find some money so that (she) could continue.”

The Higher Education Ministry did not respond to questions about the impact of the economic crisis on women's studies and what restrictions, if any, would be imposed on female students as they returned to class.

WOMEN HIT HARD

There are no official figures to show how many Afghans – men or women – have abandoned college due to economic pressures. Among women, the rate of attrition appears to be high.

Reuters spoke to 15 female university students around the country including in Kabul, Herat in the west and Nangarhar and Laghman in the east, eight of whom said they were dropping out due to financial difficulties.

Three more said they faced challenges, forcing them to cut class times and to consider leaving.

“The humanitarian crisis is a women's rights crisis,” said Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch. “Women and girls have been disproportionately affected by the economic crisis.”

She said that both the Taliban's treatment of women and the international community's failure to address the economic crisis were to blame.

For some students, the relatives who once supported their education are no longer able to.

“I wanted to serve my people … but now I cannot continue,” said Mahtab, a psychology student in Herat, who gave only her first name out of concern for her family's safety.

Her older sister once funded her studies, she said, but she lost her job in the communications department of the ousted president's office.

When she was recognised by the Taliban as having taken part in women's protests after they stormed back to power, the sister decided to flee the country for fear of reprisals.

The United Nations and some governments have raised alarm over reprisals against women's rights activists, including the disappearance of several in recent months. The Taliban have said they are investigating the disappearances.

Some women planning to return to classes at public institutions, which re-open in Kabul on Saturday having resumed on Feb. 2 in other regions, worry that men and women will be segregated, subject choices limited and burqas made compulsory.

In some parts of the country, where universities have already reopened, such practices were already in place, reflecting the more conservative norms of the area.

In others, including relatively liberal centres like Kabul and Herat, there is still uncertainty over rules for women in class and on campus.

“If the Taliban force me to wear a burqa, I would rather stay home than go to university,” said 20-year-old psychology student and Kabul resident Anahita.

TURNING BACK TIME

The expansion of women's rights, particularly in urban areas, was held up as one of the main achievements of Western military and financial intervention in Afghanistan after the U.S.-led war that toppled the last Taliban government in 2001.

Until then, in addition to the education ban, almost all jobs were off limits to women and they could only leave home when accompanied by a male relative and wearing an all-enveloping burqa.

Significant investment in girls' schools and targeted measures at universities such as reserving seats for women in law and engineering, female dormitories and child care centres, saw thousands of women pursue degrees.

Female enrolment was around 24% of the total signed up at public universities in 2020, according to figures from the World Bank-funded Higher Education Development Program, roughly 21,000 women. Many more study at private institutes.

Sanctions on some senior Taliban members, alongside concerns over human rights and the lack of inclusivity in the government, have effectively cut it off from international funding and from billions of dollars of Afghan central bank reserves held abroad.

The Taliban has described Washington's plans for the $7 billion in assets frozen on U.S. soil as an “injustice” to the Afghan people.

The United Nation's development agency predicts that Afghanistan's annual per capita income could fall to $350 in 2022 from $508 in 2020.

Some data show the crisis hitting women hard. Afghan female employment levels slumped by an estimated 16% in the third quarter of 2021, according to an International Labour Organization report, compared with 6% for men.

Bleak job prospects are a concern for many female university students.

Economy Ministry spokesman Abdulrahman Habib said the suspension of foreign aid to Afghanistan had hit funding for organisations supporting women, leading to job losses.

“The ministry of economy has prepared a policy that supports businesswomen,” he said. “We will do our best to provide all … they need to encourage them and support them in restarting their activities and businesses.”

He added that there were women working for the Taliban government without problems.

Roma Gul, a third-year political studies student in the eastern province of Nangarhar, faces daunting odds to complete her course.

Her part-time teaching job barely covers the 3,000 Afghanis in monthly transport fees she has to pay to get between home, work and campus. It left only 1,000 Afghanis a month to for books, stationery and contributions to her family's rent.

Her job finishes at 1 p.m. each day, meaning she has to rush to campus to get to the last two hours of class, after missing the morning session. But she is still grateful university has re-opened.

“I am determined to finish school despite the problems,” she said.

(Reporting by Kabul Newsroom and Charlotte Greenfield; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

497200 497200 origin 1 1
497200 497200 origin 1 2
497200 497200 origin 1 3

Topics: Aaon, towleroad More Posts About: Human Rights Watch, International Labour Organization

Related Posts
  • Bolivian ex-president Anez convicted of orchestrating coup, gets 10-yr sentence
  • Biden welcomes Southeast Asian Leaders; Makes Energy, Maritime Pledges; Pelosi Candid in Addressing LGBTQ Torture, Human Rights
  • Ukraine accuses Russia of civilian ‘massacre’; Moscow denies it
  • John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

    John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

    Published by BANG Showbiz English John Waters thinks mainstream Hollywood films are just as shocking as his gross-out cult classics. The groundbreaking 77-year-old director made his name with the 1972 black comedy ‘Pink Flamingos’ that famously …Read More »
  • Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

    Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John is “back home and in good health” after being rushed to hospital. The 76-year-old pop icon suffered a fall at his French villa on Sunday (27.08.23) evening and …Read More »
  • Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

    Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

    Published by OK Magazine Here's to the newlyweds! On Friday, September 8, Good Morning America star Robin Roberts tied the knot with her girlfriend of 18 years, Amber Laign. The reporter broke the news on her …Read More »
  • Ellen DeGeneres announces TV return after 16-month absence

    Ellen DeGeneres announces TV return after 16-month absence

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Ellen DeGeneres has announced her return to TV. The 65-year-old star's eponymous ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show' came to an end in May 2022 after 19 seasons and she's now revealed her …Read More »
Previous Post: « Georgia Senate passes bill limiting school sports to gender identified at birth
Next Post: U.S. House panel expands probe of Trump’s handling of documents »

Primary Sidebar

Most Recent

  • Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo

    Bella Thorne used to have threesomes with Benjamin Mascolo

  • John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

    John Waters believes mainstream Hollywood films are finally as shocking as his cult movies

  • Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

    Sir Elton John is ‘back home and in good health’ after being rushed to hospital

  • Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

    Robin Roberts Wedding—All the ‘I Do’ Details: The Dress, the Guest List, the Snubs and More Revealed

  • Ellen DeGeneres announces TV return after 16-month absence

    Ellen DeGeneres announces TV return after 16-month absence

  • Madonna ‘Would Love’ for Britney Spears to Come on Tour With Her After Recent Split From Sam Asghari

    Madonna ‘Would Love’ for Britney Spears to Come on Tour With Her After Recent Split From Sam Asghari

  • Lourdes Leon, Daughter Of Madonna, Shocks With See-Through String Dress At Victoria’s Secret Show

    Lourdes Leon, Daughter Of Madonna, Shocks With See-Through String Dress At Victoria’s Secret Show

  • Mike Pence Confronted by Emotional Mom of Trans Child About Laws to Protect Lgbtq Kids From Violence

    Mike Pence Confronted by Emotional Mom of Trans Child About Laws to Protect Lgbtq Kids From Violence

Adjacent News

  • Did the UAE ban the Barbie movie? What about Saudi Arabia?

    Did the UAE ban the Barbie movie? What about Saudi Arabia?

  • From penal camp, dissident Navalny calls on Russians to resist Putin

    From penal camp, dissident Navalny calls on Russians to resist Putin

  • As contentious judicial ‘reform’ becomes law in Israel, Netanyahu cements his political legacy

    As contentious judicial ‘reform’ becomes law in Israel, Netanyahu cements his political legacy

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Beyonce pays tribute to stabbed fan

    Beyonce pays tribute to stabbed fan

  • Dwight Howard’s Assault Accuser Submits Uber Receipt as Evidence in Court Battle With Ex-Lakers Star

    Dwight Howard’s Assault Accuser Submits Uber Receipt as Evidence in Court Battle With Ex-Lakers Star

  • After Bud Light, Ukraine ‘Scandals,’ Garth Brooks Surprises Again

    After Bud Light, Ukraine ‘Scandals,’ Garth Brooks Surprises Again

Partner Links

  • Wednesday Round-Up: Matthew Mitcham; Daniel K. Isaac,; Wayne Brady; Pete Buttigieg; Josh Seiter
    Interview: Matthew Mitcham on making his London stage debut, dream role […]
  • Anderson Cooper talks with Howard Stern about hearing his late father’s voice for first time since he was 10 years old
    View this post on Instagram A post shared by Howard Stern […]
  • Those Good Old GOP Family Values
    I'm sure you all have noticed that if the Republicans say […]
  • British chat show king Graham Norton celebrates 25 Years on the sofa
    It’s been 25 years since Graham Norton took to the sofa […]
  • “Kendall Jenner & Bad Bunny sat together at the Gucci show in Milan” links
    Bad Bunny & Kendall Jenner sat together at the Gucci in […]

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

About

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy
[towleroadmr] [towleroadtn]

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×
×