Education International

ATROAfghan Teachers' Rights Observatory

Testimony

Anonymous, female teacher

I want to give information about the problems of professors, especially women professors.

Throughout the history of Afghanistan, it has been considered among the countries of the world that education and training has not progressed to the extent that was essential and necessary.

As a teacher, I have seen many problems with my own eyes. In the republican system, my life and that of all female teachers was in danger. Teachers were threatened with death and acid was thrown on them. There were no standard training centres for teachers or schools. There were very few girls’ schools, there was no safe and healthy environment for teaching. In most of the remote provinces and districts, there were not even any girls’ schools. No one was given the right to education.

When the republican system fell and the Taliban seized power, these problems became more and more present than ever. The gates of all girls’ schools above the sixth grade were closed, and to this day, it is not known what will happen to the teachers who were teaching in these schools. All of them are in a bad economic situation, all women in Afghanistan, especially the teachers, have been deprived of all their rights and until today their identity is not recognised.

More Testimonies

Hakimi, a female teacher for 17 years in Kabul

One of the reasons why teachers are dissatisfied is the closure of schools for girls, because we know that half of the society is made up of women. I deplore that the Afghan society does not respect teachers

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Seyed, a male teacher for over 20 years in a secondary boys’ school in Herat

I was happy when I was teaching the upper classes, but I have now been at home for the past two years. I firmly believe that girls should have the right to education and female teachers should be allowed to teach boys.

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Sherin, female teacher for 7 years in a boys’ school in Herat

Female teachers like me now face the challenging situation where girls' schools have been closed, and female teachers have been relocated to distant areas. The increased pressure and the loss of privileges associated with my previous teaching career have left me very disillusioned.

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All testimonies