“Women who have undertaken an educational path are more likely to send their children to school… They can work and contribute to the family income, sharing with their husband the burden of sustaining, economically, the family and improving the quality of their life …” 
– Senior officer in education, Womanity Foundation Afghanistan.

The Challenge

Under the Taliban regime Afghan women and girls were excluded from all levels of the education system; schools were destroyed and female teachers were prevented from working.
Since the regime’s fall in 2001, a record number of students have enrolled, including the highest percentage (36%) of female students in decades, but significant challenges remain. Continuing conflict coupled with the lack of infrastructure and trained teachers hinder the delivery of education. And, many girls are still missing out because of obstacles such as early marriage and cultural norms that oppose their education. Girls’ schools also remain a target for Taliban attacks.
In 2008, the Government of Afghanistan laid out an ambitious 5-year strategy for a national education programme. It includes commitments to construct new schools; to increase the enrolment of girls; to provide more training for teachers; and to introduce an updated curriculum. Even so, the quality of education remains in question, with benchmarks undefined and underfunded. Quality is key to keeping children at school longer and into higher levels of education. And, quality education will ultimately accelerate progress in Afghan society.

Our Approach And Actions

Since 2007, the Womanity Foundation has supported Afghanistan’s largest girls’ school – the Al Fatah School in Kabul – to become a model of excellence in girls’ education. Based on this experience, Womanity has developed a holistic approach that focuses on the quality of education offered to girls up to secondary school. The replicable approach, namedSchool in a Box: Advancing Girls’ Education in Afghanistan assists schools in the following ways:

Our Current Activities

In partnership with Afghanistan LibreSports sans Frontières, and others and with funding from UBS Optimus Foundation, Womanity is expanding the new School in a Box model to 11 schools across the country (2011 to 2014). Meanwhile support for the Al Fatah School continues.
This effort is already benefiting 7,450 Afghan girls (and 2,550 boys) aged 6 to 18 studying at the first 6 participating schools in Kabul, Paghman district and Punjshir province. Meanwhile, 384 teachers and staff are receiving tailored training to improve their competences. Plans are being made to reach 6 more girls’ schools by 2014.

Our Results So Far

Partners

Afghanistan Libre, Ministry of Education of Afghanistan, Roshan Telecommunications, Sports sans Frontières, Samuel Hall, UBS Optimus Foundation.