Afghan girls are pleading for their future, and the world must not forget them.
For four years, they have been banned from education and the world takes no notice of it. The Taliban have imposed extreme restrictions for them, banning them from studying, going to work and even accessing health care. It’s not only their education that has been taken away, but their basic rights.
Some families were able to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban took over, all of which consider themselves lucky for that. “I am graduating from high school soon, but my heart aches for the other Afghan girls back in my homeland who are denied the right for education,” said Sita Yawari, a senior at Central.
Every Afghan girl migrating out of the country shares a similar story and struggle that has a huge impact on their mindset.
I also moved to the U.S., escaping from the inhumane and oppressive rules of Taliban, believing I would finally be free. Yet, the thought that I am privileged to be able to study freely overwhelms me.
Seeing the world around me made me realize that education is not a privilege but a basic right and need for every human being, and unfortunately girls in Afghanistan are deprived of that right.
Not long ago the Taliban ruled that women cannot be examined by any male doctor while banning girls from pursuing medicine. This means thousands of women in Afghanistan do not have access to medical care.
Despite all this, Afghan girls have been fighting strongly with opening their own online shops, forming secret study groups, and going to underground schools. But this percentage of girls are the ones with more opportunities like accessing the internet and being able to find these facilities. Millions of others are being left behind.
They cannot fight this battle alone. Afghan girls and women need the world to stand with them. It does not have to be something big to support them. Raising awareness, recognizing their unheard voices and not letting them be forgotten is a way. “I want the world to recognize that if Afghan girls had greater opportunities and rights, they could become some of the most successful women in the world,” Yawari said.
If the world normalizes the rules that the Taliban has set, Afghan girls will be forgotten.
“Education is a basic right, and no matter who we are or if we even have direct connection to them, it’s still our jobto make sure every girl around the world has access to it,” junior Benazir Ghaznavi said.
For years, Afghan girls have been fighting for equality and their natural rights, trying to make a difference in any way they can in their controlling society, but the Taliban changed the years of hard work in a single day, limiting them from being a part of the society.
Luckily, their hope and bravery remain unshaken and keeps getting stronger waiting for the day when the world will recognize their sacrifices and efforts. “I look towards a future where all Afghan girls can pursue their dreams without limitations,” senior Manizha Rahmani said.
As long as the world speak up for the rights of Afghan girls and women, hope remains that there will be no one denied to education and basic rights in the future.
