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Context & pre-existing barriers to education for girls and women

By Unknown

Education is a right for all children and an educated population is essential for building a self-reliant, peaceful, equal, and inclusive Afghan society. Afghanistan’s education system has been severely impacted by decades of conflict, widespread poverty and humanitarian crisis. 

Today, funding remains insufficient, as only 3% of Afghanistan’s Gross Domestic Product is allocated to education. International standards state that the government should spend at least 4 to 6% of GDP on education. 

The Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 recognizes that to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, least developed countries need to dedicate at least or more than 4 to 6%. 

Afghanistan budgets far less than this, and even with this small percentage of funding the country’s education budget continues to be underspent every year.Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, with almost half of the population (48 %) – under the age of 15, and 68% under 25 years of age. Women and girls’ education, has immense social and economic benefits for the development of countries. 

Education is a determinant of women’s engagement in the development of the country, public and social life. Afghanistan’s National Education Strategic Plan (2017 – 2021) acknowledges that investments in girls’ education to improve access and efficiency are necessary to ensure equality in access to education. 

Access to quality education is particularly critical in Afghanistan, where young people, especially girls, need education to prepare them as they try to break the country’s cycles of gender inequality, crisis, poverty and conflict, and move Afghanistan toward gender equality, peace and development.

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