Afghanistan

Education Equity Profile for

Adolescent Girls

1
 © UNICEF/UN0339549/Frank Dejongh
DEMOGRAPHICS

100+ 0.0% 0.0%

0.0% 0.0%
Female Male
90-94 0.0% 0.0%
0.0% 0.0%
80-84 0.1% 0.1%
0.2% 0.2%
70-74 0.4% 0.4%
0.6% 0.5%
60-64 0.8% 0.8%
Age groups

1.0% 1.0%
50-54 1.3% 1.3%
1.6% 1.7%
40-44 2.0% 2.2%
2.5% 2.7%
30-34 3.0% 3.3%
3.8% 4.1%
20-24 4.8% 5.1%
5.8% 6.1%
10-14 6.6% 6.9%
6.9% 7.3%
0-4 7.2% 7.6%

8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0%

Share of Total Population (%), 2019

2
Current demographic trends place Afghanistan in
the ‘pre-dividend’ category (the only such country
in South Asia), characterized by a high fertility rate
(over 4 births per woman), rapid population growth,
many children, few elderly, and a high dependency
ratio.1 This situation is set to change and from
about 2021, Afghanistan will enter the early-
dividend stage of the demographic transition. This
phase begins when there is a steady reduction
in birth rates while the working age population
increases, leading to an economic window of
opportunity. In order to reap the dividends of this
rare demographic opportunity, it is crucial that
Afghanistan makes the necessary investments
to anticipate the ‘adolescent bulge’ entering the
labor market in the coming years. Investing in
adolescents is therefore key to unlocking this
extra-growth potential for the country. Currently,
a quarter of the population (26 per cent) are
adolescents age 10 to 19, of which 49 per cent
© UNICEF/UNI214119/Fazel

are female and 41 per cent male.2 The number

of adolescents is expected to increase from an
estimated 9.5 million in 2019 to 11 million by
2045. Three-quarters of the population live in rural
areas, but face rapid urbanization, providing both
opportunities and challenges to the provision of
education and to economic development.

EDUCATION SYSTEM Education level Official entrance

age (years)
Duration
(years)

Afghanistan’s formal education system runs

from grade 1 to 12 and includes various types of
Primary
7 6
Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) programmes. It is highly dependent
Lower Secondary
13 3
on the support of other actors for the delivery
of education. A wide range of national and
Upper Secondary
16 3
international NGOs provide Community-Based
Education (CBE) in various hard-to-reach areas. The
formal education system is also complemented TVET provision has grown significantly among
by accelerated learning programmes to allow the development aid community and private
students who were out of school due to conflict institutions as a promising way to efficiently
or other reasons to catch up on lost education. provide unqualified workers with adapted skills
Of government spending on education (2015- to enter the labor market. A major gap in the
2016), 95 per cent goes to general education, 4 education system is the absence of organized
per cent to Islamic education, and the remainder pre-primary, which impacts all future education
on technical and vocational education and teacher outcomes. Only about 1 per cent of age
training. A national TVET strategy was launched appropriate children participate in pre-school, which
in 2013, supported by UNESCO. In recent years, is privately run and mostly in the cities.

1
Dependency ratio is the age-population ratio of those not in the labor force to those in the labor force. See also: Global Monitoring Report 2015/2016:
Development Goals in an Era of Demographic Change; age pyramid from https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Graphs/DemographicProfiles.
2
United Nations Population Division (UNDP), World Population Prospects 2019, 2019.

3
 PROFILES OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL ADOLESCENT GIRLS

School attendance rates by age indicate that girls 1. Gender differences by location
are significantly less likely to attend school across
all ages. As shown in Figure 1, the gender gap National figures mask much greater gender gaps in
in school attendance rates widens from age 10 out of school numbers by location and province.
and peaks at age 14, reflecting increased barriers The majority of people in Afghanistan – around
to education when girls reach adolescence. 71 per cent – live in rural areas, with 24 per cent
Percentage-wise the gap reduces at later ages, living in urban areas, and 5 per cent are nomadic
reflecting higher dropout rates for boys at upper Kuchis.4 Nevertheless, the number of rural and
secondary level. However, girls are more likely than Kuchi out-of-school children is disproportionately
boys to drop out at the primary education level. large, especially for girls. For lower-secondary
aged girls (13 to 15 years), 1.1 million were
The ratio of girls to boys in school does continue to rural and Kuchi out-of-school children compared
widen as the numbers for both groups shrink from to only 0.21 million urban in 2016-17. At the
age 10 to 23. Three times as many boys as girls primary level (7 to 12 years), 1.1 million out-of-
attend tertiary education at age 19+. school girls were rural and Kuchi compared to
0.12 million urban.

There are also considerable differences in

attendance rates between provinces. Figure
3 illustrates the differences in secondary net
attendance rates for girls by province, which
© UNICEF/UN0211466/Fricker

ranges from just 2 per cent in Paktika in the

southeast part of Afghanistan, to 51 per cent in
Panjshir in the northeast. In general, provinces in
the south and east of the country have much lower
school attendance rates for girls than for boys.
Many of these are provinces where significant
parts are controlled by non-state actors.

Figure 1 – Difference in school attendance rates by gender and age3

90%

80% 21% gap

27% gap
70% 31% gap

60%

50%

40%
19% gap
30%

20%

10%

0%
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Primary Level Lower Secondary Level Upper Secondary Level Tertiary Level

Male Female

Source: ALCS 2016-17

3
Central Statistics Organization (2018), Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey (ACLS) 2016-17. Kabul, CSO.
4
Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey (ACLS) 2016/17, p.164.

4
Figure 2 – Difference in out of school rates by gender and age

14,00,000

12,00,000 11,51,000
10,87,000
10,00,000
7,79,000
8,00,000 6,78,000
6,00,000

4,00,000
2,11,000
2,00,000 85,000 1,25,000 1,21,000

0
Primary school aged Lower secondary Primary school aged Lower secondary
(7-12) school aged (13-15) (7-12) school aged (13-15)

Male Female

Rural and Kuchi Urban

Source: ALCS 2016-17

2. Gender differences by household Figure 3 – Secondary net attendance rate

(NAR) for girls5
wealth
Badakhshan
Provinces in the south and east of Afghanistan Jawzjan Kunduz
Balkh
have the lowest proportion of children in the Takhar
Beghlan
lowest wealth quintile, as illustrated in Figure 4. Faryab
Sari Pul
Samangan
Panjshir
Nuristan
Comparing to the map in Figure 3, it becomes Badghis
Bamyan
Parwan Kapisa
Kunar
Kabul
apparent that some of the provinces with the Hirat
Wardak Nangarhar
Ghor Logar
highest secondary net attendance rates for girls Daykundi Paktya
Ghazni
are also amongst those with the highest poverty Uruzgan
Khost
Farah Paktika
rates, contrary to expectations. And vice versa, Zabul

some provinces with the lowest secondary net > 30%

Nimroz
Kandhar 25 - 30%
attendance rates for girls are amongst those 20 - 25%
with the lowest poverty rates. This means that Hilmand 15 - 20%
factors other than poverty play an important 10 - 15%
role in determining whether adolescent girls are Source: DHS 2015 < 10%
attending school.
Figure 4 – Proportion of children in the lowest
Nevertheless, on average (nationally), girls in wealth quintile
poor households are much less likely to attend Badakhshan
Jawzjan Kunduz
school than girls in wealthier households. Figure 5 Balkh Takhar
Beghlan
illustrates the difference between adolescent girls Faryab Samangan
Nuristan
Sari Pul Panjshir
and boys from the poorest quintile by education Badghis Parwan Kapisa
Bamyan Kabul Kunar
status. Girls are more than twice as likely to have Wardak Nangarhar
Hirat Logar
never attended school. However, the dropout Ghor
Daykundi Paktya
Ghazni
rates at primary, lower secondary and upper Uruzgan
Khost

secondary are similar for girls and boys from the Farah Zabul
Paktika

poorest quintile. Nimroz

> 45%
Kandhar 35 - 45%
25 - 35%
Hilmand 15 - 25%
5 - 15%
Source: DHS 2015 < 5%

5
Central Statistics Organization (CSO), Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), and ICF. 2017. Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey 2015. Kabul, Afghanistan:
Central Statistics Organization.

5
Figure 5 – Distribution of adolescents age 10-19 in the poorest quintile by education status in 2015

50%
50%

40%

30%

22%
20%

11% 12%
10%
3% 3% 2%
1%
0%
Never attended Dropped out Dropped out in Dropped out in
in primary lower secondary upper secondary

Girls Boys

Source: DHS 2015

Figure 6 – Secondary school net attendance ratio higher than the attendance rate for the poorest
for adolescents age 13-18 by wealth quintile boys. This reinforces the message that
factors other than wealth play an important
70%
64%
role in determining whether adolescent girls go
60%
to school.

50%
44% 3. Gender differences by engagement
38%
40%
in child labour
30%

20% 16%
Boys are more likely than girls to be engaged
in child labour6 or working7 according to ACLS
10%
2013-14 data. About 2.7 million (or 27 per cent)
0% of children aged 5-17 years are engaged in child
Poorest quintile Wealthiest quintile labour in Afghanistan. Although boys in this age
Girls Boys group are more likely to be involved in child labour
(33 per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls), girls
Source: DHS 2015 are especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
In addition, girls are much more likely to avoid
Figure 6 compares the secondary school net school due to their involvement in child labour. As
attendance ratios for adolescents age 13-18 for shown in Figure 7, among girls engaged in child
the wealthiest and poorest wealth quintiles. labour, only 34 per cent are attending school while
Adolescent girls from wealthier households more than half of boys engaged in child labour
are much more likely to be in school, but the are still going to school. In addition, 37 per cent of
attendance rates are low regardless of wealth working girls are going to school compared to 71
quintile. Even for the wealthiest quintile, the per cent of working boys. Girls are more likely to
attendance rate is only 44 per cent, just slightly be involved in unpaid house work due to biased

6
Work that is (i) mentally, physically, socially and/or morally dangerous and harmful to children, and (ii) hazardous work which by its nature or the circumstances
under which it is performed, jeopardizes the health, safety and morals of a child. The UNICEF definition used for ACLS is: (a) children 5 to 11 years of age that
during the week preceding the survey did at least one hour of economic activity or at least 28 hours of household work, and (b) children 12 to 14 years of age
that during the week preceding the survey did at least 14 hours of economic activity or at least 42 hours of economic activity and household work combined.
7
Children aged 12-17 years engaged in non-hazardous economic activities for less than 14 hours are not considered as engaged in child labour but called
working children.

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Figure 7 – Share of 6-17-year-old children
attending school by economic activity status8

80%
71%
70%
63%
60% 56%

© UNICEF/UN0339561/Frank Dejongh
50%
43%
40% 37%
34%
30%

20%

10%

0%
Not working Working child Child labour

Boys Girls

gendered norms that expect women to be involved in disabilities, which is exacerbated by the lack
in cooking, cleaning, caring for children/siblings and of emergency health care and rehabilitation. In
caring for old or sick people. addition, many children and adolescents of poor
families have become physically disabled as a
4. Kuchi nomadic communities result of hazardous work searching for scrap metal,
due to unexploded ordinance (UXOs) or minefields.
The Accessibility Organizations for Afghan Disabled
Education-wise, the most disadvantaged group are
(AAOD) estimates that 95 per cent of children
Kuchi, a generic term for a multitude of nomadic
with disabilities do not attend school – at least
communities – estimated to number around 1.5
760,000 children – due to various barriers including
million – who do not share a single ethnicity,
a lack of trained staff and facilities to cater to
language or religion. Kuchis are amongst the most
their needs.9 Unfortunately, data on children or
disadvantaged sections of Afghanistan society
adolescents with disabilities in or out-of-school is
when it comes to access to education, especially
not routinely collected, and no disaggregated data
for girls. Many are internally displaced as a result of is available. However, it is clear that regardless of
the conflict. According to ALCS 2016-17, only 1.9 gender, children and adolescents with disabilities
per cent of Kuchi youth age 15 to 24 participated in are amongst the most disadvantaged groups in
formal or non-formal education and training in the Afghanistan and – along with Kuchi – the least
previous 12 months, compared to 24.6 per cent of likely to attend school.
rural and 42.2 per cent of urban youth. The gender
parity index (ratio of girls to boys) was incredibly
low at 0.07, compared to 0.66 and 0.30 for urban 6. Summary overview
and rural youth, respectively.
Figure 8 shows a summary overview of school
attendance rates by gender, wealth quintile and
5. Children and adolescents with location. Secondary school age adolescent girls
disabilities living in rural areas and in the poorest quintile
are the least like to attend school. However,
Although no recent data is available, disability even more disadvantaged are Kuchi girls and
rates for children and adolescents in Afghanistan children with disabilities in terms of educational
are likely to be considerably higher than in other opportunities. The chart also shows the
countries in the region and globally. Armed conflict considerable drop in attendance for girls from
often leads to injuries and trauma that result primary to secondary level. It is important to note

8
Central Statistics Organization, Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey (ACLS) 2013-14. National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. Kabul, CSO, 2016.
9
National Education Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

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Figure 8 – Summary overview of school attendance

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%
Very few Kuchi girls & children
with disabilities attend school
0%
Net primary school Net primary school Net secondary school Net secondary school
attendance rate: attendance rate: attendance rate: attendance rate:
Male Female Male Female

Residence : Urban Wealth quintile : Highest

Residence : Rural Wealth quintile : Lowest

Source: DHS 2015

Figure 9 – Lower-secondary age out-of-school that this drop in attendance is quite consistent
children by school exposure (ALCS 2013-14) across wealth quintiles and location. This indicates
that while wealth and rural/urban location strongly
100% impact whether girls enter school, it is mainly other
factors which cause adolescent girls to drop out
80%
before completing secondary school. These factors
are discussed under barriers to education for
77% 89% 84% 84% adolescent girls.
60%

Figure 9 shows school exposure by gender and level

40%
of education. In Afghanistan, within the out-of-school
group – the proportion who never have and never will
20% enter school is extremely high. At primary school age,
19%
8% 14% 16% only 8 per cent of out-of-school girls are expected to
4% 3%
0% enter in the future compared to 19 per cent of out-of-
Male- Female- Male- Female-
Primary Primary Lower Upper
school boys. At lower secondary school age, hardly
Secondary Secondary any adolescent out-of-school children are expected
to start or return to school. Around 8 per cent
Expected to never enter
Expected to enter in the future of lower-secondary age girls in lower secondary
Left school education are expected to drop out before the last
grade, which is twice the rate of boys.10

10
Based on ALCS 2013/2014 data.

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© UNICEF/UN0211158/Rezayee

BARRIERS TO EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS

In most countries, it is often a combination of ever entering school is also more so a problem for
factors which leads to exclusion from education. girls than boys (40 per cent compared to 3 per cent,
While this is also true in Afghanistan, it is particularly respectively). Insecurity (real or perceived), including
one single factor – being female – which presents potential attacks from Armed Opposition Groups
a formidable barrier. Girls from poor households, and harassment, are another important barrier which
in rural areas, and in parts of the country controlled affects girls much more than boys.
by non-state actors are especially likely to be
out-of-school. What is particular to Afghanistan Educating adolescent girls carries multiple
is that there are also a high proportion of girls perceived risks (safety, psychological, health,
from wealthier households, in urban areas, and and social repercussions, public perceptions of
throughout all provinces who are out of school. purity, marriage opportunities and no or reduced
dowry), which often outweigh the perceived
1. Socio-cultural barriers benefits from the parents’ perspective. During
the Taliban’s rule in the 1990s, girls and women
Social norms, tradition and religious beliefs forbid were banned from going to school, often under
access to secular education for many girls. Child ideologies that endorsed preserving women’s
marriage, although in decline, also remains a major purity. Although the Taliban’s rule ended in 2001
obstacle to education. According to the Afghanistan and girls were subsequently allowed to go to
Living Conditions Survey 2016-17, family disapproval school, many families still carry fear.12 The threat
is one of the three main reasons why girls and of sexual harassment, abuse, rape, and out-of-
boys aged 6-24 years discontinue schooling, and wedlock pregnancies are especially significant
this problem is more common among girls than factors that deter parents from sending their
boys (31 per cent of girls versus only 1.5 per cent daughters to school. Religious beliefs that assume
of boys).11 Furthermore, familial disapproval against girls are only meant to be protected inside the

11
ALCS 2016/17, p.156
12
Human Rights Watch, ‘”I won’t be a doctor, and one day you’ll be sick”: Girls Access to Education in Afghanistan’, October 17, 2017,
< https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/10/17/i-wont-be-doctor-and-one-day-youll-be-sick/girls-access-education-afghanistan>, accessed November 26, 2019.

9
house also discourage some families from menstruation. The same study found that only
sending their daughters to school.13 Furthermore, 50 per cent of girls are aware of menstruation
a girl’s (perceived) purity also impacts marriage before their first period. Lack of knowledge around
opportunities and dowry, and thus families menstruation and myths and taboos associated
may perceive a direct economic disincentive with menstruation not only makes it harder for
to allow girls to be educated, especially at girls to manage menstrual hygiene but perpetuates
adolescence. Keeping adolescent girls at home misunderstandings among people who continue
protects them and ensures their purity. This to exclude and isolate girls for experiencing
economic disincentive is not compensated by a menstruation. This also affects school attendance,
higher likelihood of employment, since women as further described below.
seldom participate in the labor market. There
is a widespread perception that women should Child Marriage
become housewives, and there are very few job
opportunities for educated women. In addition, Child marriage is on the decline in Afghanistan,
cultural norms dictate that after marriage women but still prevalent: 9 per cent of women aged
live with their husband and in-laws, and any 20-24 reported being married before the age of
income potentially earned by women benefits her 15, and 35 per cent by the age of 18. Figure 10
husband’s family. shows education attainment by child marriage
status.16 Surprisingly, the association between
Girls also face many restrictions due to cultural child marriage and education attainment is quite
norms and taboos around menstruation. For weak in Afghanistan. Girls marrying before age 18
instance, a study found that around 80 per cent are more likely to drop out, with only 5 per cent
of girls in Afghanistan were not allowed to attend completing secondary or higher, compared to 12
cultural events like weddings and funerals on their per cent for those marrying after the age of 18.
period.14 Girls are also often misinformed about But overall, there is not a big difference in girls’
education attainment between those who were
married before the age of 18 and those who were
Figure 10 – Education attainment for women
married after the age of 18. The majority had never
aged 20-24 by child marriage status, Afghanistan
attended school in the first place.
(2015)15

2. Poverty and financial barriers

100%
5%
12%
8%
4% 7% Poverty tends to impact all other factors leading to
80% 3%
8% exclusion from education, and almost all families
8%
89% and communities in Afghanistan face some degree
60% of economic hardship. It influences decisions and
opportunities relating to child labour, child marriage
40% 75% 70% and children with disabilities, amongst others. The
Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey indicates
20% that almost 54.5 per cent of the Afghan population
(15.9 million) are below the poverty line.17 As
0% noted in the discussion of gender differences by
Married Married household wealth, girls have a high likelihood of
Before 18 After 18 being out-of-school across all wealth quintiles,
Complete Secondary or Higher Incomplete Secondary whereas boys’ education opportunities appear to
Complete Primary Incomplete Primary
be particularly impacted by poverty. This could
No Education
be linked to the higher rates of engagement in

13
Shayan, Zafar, ‘Gender Inequality in Education in Afghanistan: Access and Barriers’, 2015, Open Journal of Philosophy, 5, 277-284.
14
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Afghanistan, ‘Launch of first ever Girls’ Hygiene Guidelines in Afghanistan’, October 30, 2018, <https://www.unicef.
org/afghanistan/press-releases/launch-first-ever-girls-hygiene-guidelines-afghanistan>, accessed November 25, 2019.
15
DHS: Demographic and Health Survey, 2015.
16
Bajracharya, A., S. R. Psaki and M. Sadiq, Child marriage, adolescent pregnancy and school dropout in South Asia, report by the Population Council for the
United Nations Children’s Fund Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2019.
17
ALCS 2016/17, p.330

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 © UNICEF/UN0212105/Mohammadi

(non-household) economic activities for boys. At per cent of adolescent girls and 40 per cent of
the same time, in many households, financial women of reproductive age suffer from anemia.18
pressures lead to girls rather than boys being Poor health prevents girls from going to school and
excluded. Although school is free, there remain performing well in school and increases child and
many indirect costs such as school supplies, mother mortality in the future.
clothes and transportation. If a family cannot afford
the indirect costs of education for all children in the 3. School-level barriers
household, it is more likely that girls are excluded.
There are multiple school factors which also
Besides tradition and religious beliefs, the lack lead to greater exclusion of adolescent girls.
of future employment opportunities for girls also Female teachers increase the likelihood that
influence such decisions. The labour market is, in girls, especially adolescent girls, will be allowed
effect, closed to women in many provinces. This to go to school and continue their schooling.
not only affects the well-being of women, but also In Afghanistan, only 34 per cent of teachers
that of men and children. Effects of the gender are female, according to 2015-16 data, and the
gap in employment include reduced bargaining proportion of female teachers in rural areas is
power of women at home and lower investments even lower.
in children’s education and health, lower economic
growth, as well as underrepresentation of women Another school-level barrier is inadequate WASH
in the teacher workforce with implications that are (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities and
discussed below. Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) facilities
in schools. They are critical for a safe, protective
Poverty is also associated with malnutrition and and healthy learning environment, and inadequate
anemia which affects a large proportion of children WASH and MHM facilities particularly affect
and adolescents in Afghanistan. In 2013, the adolescent girls. A questionnaire-based survey
Ministry of Public Health reported that around 31 in 2010 of 7,769 schools in 24 provinces found

18
Ministry of Public Health, National Nutrition Survey Afghanistan 2013: Survey Report , Government of Afghanistan, Ministry of Public Health.

11
that only 37 per cent of all surveyed schools had thus requires alternative mechanisms for the
safe drinking water, only 7.5 per cent had soap, delivery of education (though Kuchi are becoming
and only around half of co-education schools had increasingly sedentary). A challenge for Kuchi as
separate toilets for girls and boys; moreover, other well as returnees and IDPs (Internally Displaced
studies found that an estimated 30 per cent of People) – noting that many Kuchi are IDPs – is
girls stay home during menstruation due to lack of that they often lack the necessary papers to
MHM facilities.19 enrol in school. Language of instruction is also
a barrier, and there is currently no consensus
Adolescent girls often have to travel long distances within the Ministry of Education on the provision
due to the lack of schools. According to the 2016 of mother-tongue education in the case of small
Education Sector Analysis, 40 per cent of children ethnic minorities.
require more than half an hour to get to school.
This puts them at risk of sexual harassment, and Children with disabilities face barriers both in
there is a particularly strong correlation between terms of discrimination and social stigma, and the
distance to school and lower enrolment for girls. complete lack of services to support them. Schools
lack accessible infrastructure, learning materials
4. Insecurity and conflict and staff with specialized training to support the
needs of children with disabilities.
Violence and insecurity continue to remain
prevalent and are even on the rise. This poses 6. Lack of government expenditure on
a particular set of problems for governance in education and reliance on external
Afghanistan’s education sector. Schools are a
frequent target of attacks. The ongoing conflict
funding
has a strong impact on school closures, and
disproportionately affects girls’ attendance. Government expenditure on education is similar to
For instance, in 2018, armed conflicts caused other countries in South Asia (both as a percentage
school closures throughout villages in the Farah of GDP and percentage of total government
province and left 3,500 girls out of school.20 Even expenditure). However, it is affected by the high
after schools re-opened, girls were reluctant and levels of government security expenditure and has
afraid to return. In addition, it poses problems in not kept pace with increasing demand for education,
recruiting and keeping qualified teachers, especially owing to Afghanistan’s very young population.
female teachers which subsequently impacts girls’
enrolment. Non-state control of parts of the country Inadequate controls leading to corruption,
has also influenced education curricula, which rarely nepotism and misappropriation of resources are
meet the standards of the Ministry of Education. also a significant threat. Afghanistan ranks 177
The lack of security has also led to difficulties out of 180 on the 2017 Transparency International
obtaining reliable data from schools including Corruption Perceptions Index, based on perceived
on girls’ participation. This has implications for levels of public sector corruption.21 This potentially
the accuracy and breadth of data collected for impact further investments by international
monitoring and evidence-based decision making. donors, and currently Afghanistan is highly
reliant on external sources of education funding,
5. Barriers to education for ethnic with 36 per cent of education costs covered
by Official Development Assistance (ODA).
minorities and disadvantaged Corruption will continue to be a challenge for the
populations foreseeable future, although President Ashraf
Ghani has prioritized anti-corruption measures. It
Kuchi face a particular set of barriers to disproportionately impacts the poorest households,
education. In addition to socio-cultural barriers, with financial pressures more likely to lead to
many Kuchi face the barrier of mobility and exclusion of girls than boys.

19
United Nations Children’s Fund, Assessment of Existing School Sanitation Facilities in Afghanistan, Final report, UNICEF, December 2010.
20
Amnesty International, ‘Afghanistan 2017/2018’, < https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/asia-and-the-pacific/afghanistan/report-afghanistan/>, accessed
November 25, 2019.
21
Transparency International, ‘Corruption Perceptions Index’, <https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2017 >, accessed
8 November 2019.

12
© UNICEF/UN0339553/Frank Dejongh

POLICIES AND STRATEGIES ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO

EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS22

1. Addressing socio-cultural barriers women, but has suffered from delays, challenges
in implementation, and opposition from some
There are a number of important and recent members of parliament.
initiatives to address socio-cultural barriers to
education for adolescent girls. This includes Child marriage is targeted by several international
the training of influential community elders human right documents, including the Convention
(Maliks) to advocate for prevention of harmful on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
traditional practices such as child marriage and and the International Convention of Civil and Political
support education for adolescent girls and boys; Rights, which have been incorporated into domestic
community dialogues at village and district levels to law. The Afghan Civil Code officially condemns child
change perceptions on child marriage and develop marriage, but the systematic enforcement of the
action plans around ending child marriage; and law is variable and depends on the geographic areas
establishment of the Afghan Women’s Leadership where the court rules. Especially in rural areas, the
Initiative (AWLI) to reduce child marriage and Afghan law is sometimes in competition with other
mitigate its consequences. socio-economic orders that bear more legitimacy.
On 19 April 2017, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs
The 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women and the Ministry of Information and Culture
(EVAW) criminalizes baad (marrying a woman to launched a ‘National Action Plan to Eliminate
bring peace and reconciliation among families), Early and Child Marriage’. The action plan was
child and forced marriage, and 19 other acts of developed in partnership with UNFPA Afghanistan
violence against women. It is the cornerstone and after several consultations with the public
of the Afghan initiative to eradicate all forms of and private sectors, and representatives of the
abuse, aggression and violence against girls and international community.

22
The main source of the policy analysis is the UNICEF & Samuel Hall Report on Out-of-School Children in Afghanistan (2017).

13
 coordination with the Ministries of Health and
Education, through providing weekly iron and folic
acid supplementation (WIFS) as well as through
awareness raising around this issue.

3. Addressing school-level barriers

School construction and improvement of school
infrastructure and facilities is a top priority for
the government.23 The Ministry of Education has
standards in place for infrastructure and facilities,
but these are often not adhered to. For adolescent
girls, it is especially important to address the
absence of adequate WASH facilities and MHM
facilities. There are efforts to specifically improve
© UNICEF/UN0211461/Fricker

the implementation of WASH infrastructure in

schools, such as in the Draft Girls’ Education Policy
for 2017.

To address the shortage of female teachers in

schools especially in rural areas, the Ministry
of Education is undergoing a significant effort
to train more female teachers.24 The Ministry is
planning to recruit around 30,000 female teachers
2. Addressing poverty and financial among communities over the next five years. The
barriers National Education Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will
pilot the use of incentives (such as housing, salary
With the support of international donors, the supplements, inclusion of family members, special
Afghan government has implemented several security provisions, etc.) to encourage qualified
social protection plans such as the Social female teachers from urban areas to relocate to
Protection Sector Strategy aiming to reduce under-served areas.
extreme poverty, hunger, malnutrition and improve
assistance and integration of the most vulnerable 4. Addressing insecurity and conflict
categories of the society. The Social Safety Net through Community Based
(SSN) Programme is the World Bank flagship
project in Afghanistan and intends to support the Education
government in improving the economic resilience
of the most vulnerable population. CBE (Community Based Education) has proven
to be more resilient to the conflict than state-
In terms of improving the education participation, run schools, because they are less centralized
a recommendation is that Conditional Cash and visible, more flexible, run by members of
Transfers or CCTs are considered which have the community, and less likely to be perceived
been successful in other parts of the world. CCTs as symbols of the Afghan government. In
for education make cash transfers conditional on 2015, such CBE programmes hired over 11,000
school attendance. They can be used to reduce the teachers and enrolled more than 300,000
gender gap by having CCTs specifically for girls, or students among which 65 per cent were female.25
higher CCTs for girls compared to boys. The Ministry of Education developed a CBE
Policy in a concerted effort to improve girls’
The large proportion of adolescent girls suffering education participation, focusing especially on
from anemia is being addressed by UNICEF in girls in rural areas. The policy gives flexibility to

23
National Education Strategic Plan 2017-2021.
24
UNICEF – Samuel Hall Out-of-School Children Initiative Report – Afghanistan, 2017.
25
World Bank, Afghanistan: Promoting Education During Times of Increased Fragility, 2018, World Bank, Washington, DC, p.24.

14
communities in remote areas to organize safe considered as alternative learning pathways for
and quality access to education for girls and out-of-school and disadvantaged populations.
boys alike outside of state-run public schools,
with the active support and participation of the With respect to children with disabilities, although
community and community leaders. It calls the government is committed to producing
for the establishment of school shuras, which an inclusive school environment, there are no
are school management councils, with the guidelines for Ministry of Education staff at the
aim of increasing community involvement and local levels on inclusive education and special
addressing barriers to girls’ education (especially education needs. The 2008 Education Law, the
adolescent girls) through this community Child Friendly Education Policy and the National
structure. In Afghanistan, community mobilization Education Strategic Plan 2017-2021 take on board
is key due to the importance of local-level and the question of access to schools for children
informal authorities in community-level decision with disabilities. This corpus of documents set
making and guaranteeing the sustainability of intentions for the future, such as development
outcomes.26 CBE is also promoted by UNICEF of adapted facilities, but most of these measures
and several international NGOs, amongst others, remain to be implemented.
as a way of overcoming barriers to education
for girls. CBE Policy Guidelines have been 6. Addressing lack of employment
developed setting minimum conditions and quality opportunities for women
standards as well as a curriculum. The Ministry
of Education has also developed action plans In 2015, 87 per cent of Afghan women said that
to foster the recognition of learning centres as they were housewives, while only 5.5 per cent said
‘Peace Zones’, and to include school shuras and they are working.28 Moreover, from 2014 to 2015,
the Child Protection Action Network (CPAN)27 in there was a decrease in the percentage of women
discussions with relevant stakeholders to prevent saying they were without work and seeking it,
school destruction and closures. However, CBE dropping from 11 per cent in 2014 to 3 per cent in
schools are at the time of writing not included 2015. This may be linked to rising concerns
in the Education Management Information over security.
System; this would be an important development
required to better monitor education participation In recent years, vocational training activities (TVET)
especially for girls. have significantly grown among the development
aid community and private institutions as a
5. Addressing barriers to education for promising way to efficiently provide unqualified
disadvantaged groups workers with adapted skills to enter the labor
market. But there remain significant problems,
The National Education Strategic Plan 2017- including the fragmentation of the management
2021 commits to developing strategies and of TVET, poor quality of TVET, and skills
implementing equitable solutions to the mismatch between TVET supply and labor market
integration of disadvantaged groups in the demands. Even if these are resolved, however,
national system, such as through mobile schools the socio-cultural barriers to women’s workforce
for Kuchis, and acquisition of documentation participation remain a barrier.
(tazkeras) required for enrolment. The Ministry
of Education 2013 Literacy Strategy also plans Initiatives to improve the number of women in
coordination meetings with Kuchi representatives the teaching workforce (as discussed above)
to plan for the development of culture sensitive are especially important, both to increase girls’
material and appropriate forms of schooling. education participation, and to provide future
Seasonal schools, evening classes, and self- employment opportunities for educated girls and
instruction using technology are also being incentives to continue their education.

26
Samuel Hall, School Management Shuras: A bridge between girls’ education and the communities? – Case Study on Community Mobilization for the promotion
of girls’ education, 2014.
27
A network of governmental and non-governmental organizations with a mandate for field interventions in the area of child protection.
28
The Asia Foundation, Survey of the Afghan People: Afghanistan 2015.

15
For further information, please contact
UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia
Lainchaur, Lekhnath Marg
Kathmandu, Nepal
Telephone: +977 1 441 7082
Facsimile: +977 1 441 9479
E-mail: [email protected]
www.unicef.org/rosa

© United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

December 2019

Cover photo: © UNICEF/UN0340023/Frank Dejongh