We Must Prioritize Education for All Girls Everywhere

Marzia Nawrozi

It is the international Day of the Girl Child and I am thinking about the millions of girls around the world who are denied access to education because of poverty, war, lack of resources and harmful traditions. For six years during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, I was one of them.

When I came to the United States as an exchange student in 2006, I could barely speak English. For my English class, we had to write about the place where we studied best. My answer was, “On the roof.”

My response was both shocking and funny for my teacher and classmates. It was hard for them to understand that where I grew up, we didn’t have facilities and resources that students in the U.S. have. In Afghanistan, we have big families and it is not possible to have our own room. My parents, my six siblings and I shared three rooms. It became even more crowded when my nieces and nephews came to visit. The only quiet place I could find was on the roof. Sometimes birds bothered me by pooping on my homework, but I loved my corner of the roof and wouldn’t give it up, unless there were gunfire and noisy helicopters.

There are millions of Afghan girls who do not even have homework, because they cannot go to school. Most are willing to study with few facilities and walk miles to go to school, but unfortunately insecurity, poverty, and cultural barriers prevent them from going to school.

Many girls, who make it to school, cannot continue past elementary school, because they are forced into early marriages. Lack of female teachers in rural area is another problem. Families don’t want their daughters to have male teachers. In many places, the Taliban and other extremists have attacked, closed or burnt down schools. They have even tried to prevent girls from going to school by poisoning their water and threatening their lives. But despite all these obstacles 40% of school students are girls.

Time and time, education has proven to be the most effective way for empowering girls and improving communities. Education can end poverty and help to build strong and independent nations. Education helps girls to become independent, stand for their rights and make decisions for themselves. On this International Day of the Girl Child, let’s remember the more than 62 million girls who are not in schools and renew our commitment to prioritize their education.