The Role of Education in Women Development and Empowerment in Afghanistan

The Role of Education in Women Development and Empowerment in Afghanistan
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Introduction
According to Ahmed-Ghosh (2013), it is nearly three decades; Afghan citizens have been subjected to series of brutal wars of the Soviet occupation war (1979-1989), tribal civil wars (1990-1996), and the Taliban oppressive rule (1996-2001). Before these brutal wars, the country was a relatively liberal nation with a progressive view on women’s rights. Afghan women constituted 50% of government employees, 40% of health practitioners, and 70% of teachers in Kabul. Nevertheless, impacts of such brutal wars negatively affected women’s rights in public life and reduced them to a domestic domain (Poureslami, MacLean, Spiegel, and Yassi, 2013). Since the Taliban regime was overthrown, the country has been under new governance under Western-backed democracy devoted to women’s education and rights. It is known widely that education is a vital tool for women empowerment since it enables them to address their problems, tackle their traditional roles, and transform their lives. Education is a powerful tool to change women’s position in the society. In this paper, the role of education in women development and empowerment in Afghanistan is examined.
Role of education in empowering women
Both current research and modern history research in third world nations such as Afghanistan show that democracy and peace are developed when citizens become educated, increasing the respect for human rights, and promotion of education and equal rights provided to girls and women. Equal education for girls and boys has been known to increase GDP and productivity of a nation. Specifically, education for girls leads to more democracy, income growth, and sustainable families (Brodsky et al. 2011). Education promotes participation of women and girls in the society, helps them to minimize domestic violence, and encourages them to be active citizens and to participate in income generating activities.
In Afghanistan, the empowerment and education of women is important to minimize the influence of extremism and the Taliban. Holland and Yousofi (2014) argue that when Afghan women and girls understand their legal rights, they can vote to influence their own future, speak for themselves, eradicate the influence of extremism, and promote democracy. Investment in girls’ education is vital to address women’s needs including their rights. Girls who get the education are more likely to get jobs, have children, get married, and earn living as adults (Fluri, 2008). A better approach to ensure women’s rights and to empower them is through providing education, which will foster free-thinking, knowledge, and literacy of their rights.
Challenges facing women education and empowerment in Afghanistan
It is evident how education for Afghan women can help to create socio-economic developments in the country. However, there are several issues hindering women empowerment. Poureslami, MacLean, Spiegel, and Yassi (2013) explain that after the Taliban regime was overthrown in 2001, optimism and hope of Afghan women revived with the presence of international f...