450 Days Without Education for Girls

Today marks 450 days that girls have not been allowed to attend secondary and high school in Afghanistan. The continued ban on girls’ education deprives the next generation of women of their academic, social, and economic futures. Not only is this a violation of the fundamental right to education, the ban also has a significant impact on Afghanistan’s economy and future workforce, with an estimated 2.5% loss of the nation’s annual GDP (at least US$500 million according to Unicef).

Community-based education models address the current barriers to girls’ education; helping to prevent harms like trafficking and forced early marriage while empowering the bright futures of all of Afghanistan’s children. A community-based approach also helps provide access to education for groups that may be isolated because of displacement or who live in geographically inaccessible or impoverished communities.

Uplift is supporting a group’s innovative approach to education for girls in Afghanistan that goes beyond traditional classrooms. Using small, home-based circles called “cluster education,” and providing modest cash incentives to families, a project we are supporting delivers safe education to over 100 girls in Afghanistan.

The project delivers intensive courses in mathematics, physics, computer science, English, Dari, Pashto, and literature. Students are taught by qualified female teachers who are, in turn, able to earn a living.

We are proud to support this endeavor and to express our wholehearted belief that everyone deserves the right to education.