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Study finds almost 80% of Afghan girls missing out on education
Almost 80% of Afghan girls are missing out on an education, Save the Children said Friday- almost a month after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) issued a ban on teenage girls going to school.
A study by Save the Children, UNICEF and its Education Cluster partners has assessed who has returned to school in the past month across Afghanistan. The report shows the majority of secondary school girls – about 850,000 out of 1.1 million – are not attending classes.
Save the Children Afghanistan’s Acting Asia Regional Director, Olivier Franchi, said: “Girls were absolutely shattered last month when they arrived at classes – excited for the new school year – and were told to go home. Since then, Save the Children has spoken with girls who say they are depressed and heartbroken at being denied their fundamental right to learn.
“Education is a lifeline for all children, especially girls. Without it, they are at increased risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation, including early marriage. For the sake of girls’ survival in Afghanistan and for the future of the country, Save the Children is calling on the Taliban (IEA) to immediately allow girls of all ages to return to school. There is no issue – administrative, logistical or otherwise – that can possibly justify the continuation of a policy that denies girls access to their education.
“The international community also has an essential role to play and must continue to provide funding to support and protect girls who are still in school. The education system in Afghanistan is hanging by a thread and now is not the time to back away.”
Parvana (not her real name), 14, from Kabul province, is in grade seven. She hasn’t been able to attend formal schooling due to fears of violence but has instead been attending Save the Children-run community-based education classes. Parvana said: “When my brother was going to school and I couldn’t previously, I felt awful. All I wanted was to go to school, to study, to become someone in the future and make my family and the people from this area proud.
“Education is not only important for girls, but everyone should be educated. No one is born to stay at home. We are born to work hard, study and reach our goals.”
“These (Save the Children) classes can help girls left behind in their studies. Education is the most important thing in life. For my children, I hope they study and improve and get to live their dreams. For myself, I hope to become a good teacher and to serve the students of this society,” said one mother.
It’s estimated that almost 8 million school-aged children need support to access education right now in Afghanistan – an increase from 2.6 million compared to last year. Insecurity, poverty, cultural traditions, poor infrastructure, inadequate learning materials and a lack of qualified female and male teachers are continuing barriers to children accessing education.
To ensure children have still had access education during the last eight months, Save the Children has been running Community-Based Education classes and providing children and teachers with learning and classroom kits. The organisation has also been working with female secondary school graduates to support them to become teachers and to pass the university entrance exam.
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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