The Afghan government and international donors should develop and implement a new approach to girls’ education in the country to avoid reversing the gains made in educating young Afghan girls over the last nine years, 16 local and international non-governmental organizations say in a report.
A new approach to education is also needed to further increase Afghan girls’ access to education, according to the report by organizations such as Oxfam International, CARE And the Swedish Committee of Afghanistan.
The organizations argue that the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and donors’ focus on counterinsurgency and stabilization instead of long-term development could reverse gains made in encouraging girls to attend school. This progress in sending girls to school is “one of the few good news stories” in Afghanistan in the last nine years, the organizations say.
The report’s recommendations for the new approach include:
- Focusing on improving secondary and higher levels of education.
- Helping the Afghan government increase the number of female-friendly schools for girls, particularly in remote areas.
- Increasing the number and quality of female teachers.
- Ensuring that access to education is not sacrificed in any political settlement.
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