1. EDUCATION & GIRLS

2. Accessibility of Girls to Education  Total children in school 5.4 million, only 2.3 million of girls are in schools  Still 60% of girls are out of school  Currently 11,460 schools out of which 15% 1719 for girls only and 51% 5844 for both boys and girls(primary schools)  The majority of girls at schools are between age of 6-12

3. Education-Girls & Development  Education is the key to development  Decades of conflict devastated much of Afghanistan human, physical and institutional infrastructure, and insecurity remains a critical challenge to development efforts  The 30 years of War and only 10 years of development  One of the reason why the development is very slow in Afghanistan is the lower % of literacy among people  The total literacy rate is 43% and among female it is only 12%

4. Education-Girl-Cont  Occupation in rural are mainly life stock, agriculture. Women support their male partners in the farms, girls are taking care of life stocks in age of 8-10  Development needs does not only need literacy but advanced knowledge, familiarization with technology that speeds up the development process

5. Continu….  Women has less involvement in development process  Culturally, there have been distribution of professionals between male and female in Afghan society  In urban areas literate women basically involved in teaching, offices, house keeping, while in rural areas they are working in agriculture, houses.  Female does not involved in decison-makings

6. Barriers the education of girls in Afghanistan  Security (molestation and harassment)  Socio-cultural barriers (low value to girls education), early marriages, pallid role of women in society  Lack of female teachers in rural areas  Lack of number of schools for girls  Poverty, forced to work  Long distance of schools, difficulty in mobility  Lack of certain essential school facilities, building, drinking water  Very restricted possibility of girls to enter higher education

7. What should be done  Public awareness and advocacy for girls education in rural areas  To reduce insecurity risks, establishment of community based schools  Training of potential females in teacher training and management (Accelerated learning, leadership)  Providing better and secure environment which encourage more females to come in to teaching and creating conducive environment for girls  Providing support programs (skill building, scholarships)  Integrating gender education in the teacher, head teacher and management of schools  Harmonized education system has be in placed  Increasing community ownership about schools (community should contribute to school building  Long term education programs, and donors’ commitment  Commitment of other ministries contribute to edcuation

8. Thank You