Literacy classes transform the lives of women in western Afghanistan 

Fatima, mother of five, sits in the tent, sweating in the heat. She is not alone: there are 40 other women with her, all of them busy with the alphabet. “I really want to learn to read and write,” she told IWPR.

Fatima lives in Dadshan village, in a district of Herat Province that is remote from the splendours of the capital city. Enrolling in the literacy course was not easy: in addition to coping with the demands of her large family, she had to convince her husband, a farmer for whom literacy, especially for women, seemed a luxury.

But Fatima persisted, and the joy of her accomplishment shows in her face as she carefully traces her letters. “I want to become a teacher in my village so I can help other women,” she said. “Besides, I can help my husband by bringing in some money.”

Education officials in Herat say that close to 80 per cent of their literacy students are women. It is the first province in Afghanistan to show such a sharp jump in female education.

“Families here are more open, and the security is relatively good,” said Muhammad Omar Ghafoori, head of the literacy unit of Herat’s Education Department. “We also have a large migration from Iran, which neighbours Herat and has a similar culture.”

Herat is something of an anomaly in Afghanistan today. Its gracious, tree-lined streets, the famed 15th-century minarets, and the spectacular Jamiea Mosque are in stark contrast to Kabul’s dusty, barren roads and ruined buildings. A centre of culture and learning for centuries, it is a fitting place to launch a literacy movement.

According to Ghafoori, more than 50,000 women have participated in literacy courses over the past three years, compared to just over 15,000 men. Herat has 6,000 literacy centres scattered throughout its towns and villages, and the effort has pulled in more than 5500 teachers. “We have mullahs, religious scholars, high school graduates, community leaders – all volunteering as teachers,” he said.

Sima Sher Muhammadi, head of the Department of Women’s Affairs in Herat, is convinced that it was her office’s hard work that has made the difference. “We have held more than 100 workshops in women’s rights, literacy, and criminal law,” she said. “We have encouraged women to get educated. In addition, we have had very good cooperation with the Ulema (religious councils).”

The women’s department distributed foodstuffs such as beans, oil, and sugar to poor woman who have enrolled in the literacy programme, which has also boosted attendance, she said. But the literacy campaign has had even greater benefits for Herat’s women, she added.

“Overall we have had a 60 per cent decrease in the rate of self-immolation, which was the highest in the country two years ago,” she said. “Also, the number of forced marriages has decreased. This is the result of our workshops, and of women becoming literate.”

This story is adapted from a story written by Sadeq Behnam and Sudabah Afzali (ARR No. 260, 17-July-07) and published by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in its Afghan Recovery Report.

 


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