Even before the government fell to the Taliban, Afghanistan was one of the most unequal countries in the world in terms of male and female participation in education. But the country has made huge progress over the last two decades, particularly for girls. Now, many fear that progress may be reversed.
Education is under threat on the one hand from the Taliban government, which has banned girls from secondary school. But it is also under threat from western nations which have frozen Afghanistan’s assets and cut the aid money that sustained education and other public services.
As this potentially devastating new era in Afghanistan begins, what is at risk for education and what does the international community need to do protect the right of all children to go to school? I invited Zuhra Faizi, a Harvard postdoctoral fellow and Massachusetts Institute of Technology lecturer, and Rob Jenkins, the global director of education for UNICEF, to join me on this episode of the CGD Podcast to discuss these questions and more.
Tune in to learn more about the history and current status of Afghan education, the benefits and challenges of community-based schools, and what international institutions must do now to protect children in Afghanistan.
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise.
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