It’s been more than a year since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over the country—turning minds to education—especially female education—in the region, and what that would look like.
The Central Asia Institute in Bozeman described the moments and days following the withdrawal as chaotic as they tried to organize flights out of the country for their colleagues and wade the unknown waters of education under the Taliban.
Today, education is still ongoing in the country; however, there are limitations in place.
“We are making education happen. The Taliban have prohibited girls above sixth grade from going to school, which is a strategy obviously to end their education—to pretend they’re allowing education to go forward in some way,” Executive Director Alice Thomas said.
Moving education forward: something one girl in Afghanistan is determined to do.
“A colleague, whose niece could not go to high school,” Thomas said, “Every morning she gets up, she polishes off her shoes, she puts on her uniform, she goes to her bedroom and she opens her books.”
The bravery and resistance Afghan people have shown is inspiring and courageous, Thomas says, and is a large reason why education is moving forward in the country and in remote communities.
“The Afghan people are fighting back, and we have to support them, we can’t let the Taliban win,” she said.
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