Afghan woman, whose picture went viral, achieves dream of college
The Indu,
April 01, 2018
On March
15, cheered on by her husband, Jahantap set out for the Daikundi provincial
capital of Nili to take the university entrance exam.
15, cheered on by her husband, Jahantap set out for the Daikundi provincial
capital of Nili to take the university entrance exam.
 |
|
Jahantab
Ahmadi, 25, holds her daughter Khezran during an interview with
The Associated
Press in Kabul. Photo Credit: AP |
With
three children under the age of five and a husband who could neither read nor
write, 25-year-old Jahantab Ahmadi dreamed of going to college. Her high school
degree was enough to become a teacher at the only elementary school in her
village in central Afghanistan —
in an open field but she wanted more.
On March
15, cheered on by her husband, Jahantab set out for the Daikundi provincial
capital of Nili to take the university entrance exam. She walked until her feet
were blistered and bruised and then sat for 10 hours with her infant daughter,
Khezran, cradled on her lap in a rickety bus over rugged rocky roads. Once in
Nili, she took the exam and scored a respectable 152 out of a possible 200.
15, cheered on by her husband, Jahantab set out for the Daikundi provincial
capital of Nili to take the university entrance exam. She walked until her feet
were blistered and bruised and then sat for 10 hours with her infant daughter,
Khezran, cradled on her lap in a rickety bus over rugged rocky roads. Once in
Nili, she took the exam and scored a respectable 152 out of a possible 200.
But it
was a picture of Jahantab posted on Facebook, sitting cross-legged
on the classroom floor, her 2-month-old baby asleep on her lap as she took the
exam, that made the dream of going to college come true. A teacher in Nili who
was moved by Jahantab’s determination to get an education posted pictures on
Facebook. In Afghanistan, where women still struggle for even the most basic of
rights, it went viral.
was a picture of Jahantab posted on Facebook, sitting cross-legged
on the classroom floor, her 2-month-old baby asleep on her lap as she took the
exam, that made the dream of going to college come true. A teacher in Nili who
was moved by Jahantab’s determination to get an education posted pictures on
Facebook. In Afghanistan, where women still struggle for even the most basic of
rights, it went viral.
“My
brother who was working in Kabul called me and said ‘I saw your picture in Facebook,’”
she said in an interview in Kabul where she is now enrolled at a private
university. “I wanted to get my education, so I could help my village, change
my village. I want to help my society. But first I wanted it for my children,
so one day they could be educated.”
brother who was working in Kabul called me and said ‘I saw your picture in Facebook,’”
she said in an interview in Kabul where she is now enrolled at a private
university. “I wanted to get my education, so I could help my village, change
my village. I want to help my society. But first I wanted it for my children,
so one day they could be educated.”
Nearly 17
years after the overthrow of the Taliban government, which outlawed women’s
education, an estimated 6 million children are in school in Afghanistan and a
third of them are girls. However, most girls don’t study beyond elementary
school, and of the 3.5 million Afghan children who have never gone to school,
75 percent are girls, according to the 2017 annual report of the United Nations
Children’s Fund, which was released in February.
years after the overthrow of the Taliban government, which outlawed women’s
education, an estimated 6 million children are in school in Afghanistan and a
third of them are girls. However, most girls don’t study beyond elementary
school, and of the 3.5 million Afghan children who have never gone to school,
75 percent are girls, according to the 2017 annual report of the United Nations
Children’s Fund, which was released in February.
Zahra
Yagana, who runs a small non-governmental organization that provides awareness
of the environment and the value of education, said the picture of Jahantab on
the floor, while other students sat at desks, inspired her to get Jahantab to
Kabul and into a university.
Yagana, who runs a small non-governmental organization that provides awareness
of the environment and the value of education, said the picture of Jahantab on
the floor, while other students sat at desks, inspired her to get Jahantab to
Kabul and into a university.
“Life is
still very difficult for women in Afghanistan. We need the international
community to stay for 50 or 100 years to change things here for women,” said
Yagana.
still very difficult for women in Afghanistan. We need the international
community to stay for 50 or 100 years to change things here for women,” said
Yagana.
“When I
saw the picture of Jahantab on Facebook, I was so impressed,” she said. “Right
away the next day I wrote a story about her, but I thought we have to do
something for her, help her get her education. She inspired me.”
saw the picture of Jahantab on Facebook, I was so impressed,” she said. “Right
away the next day I wrote a story about her, but I thought we have to do
something for her, help her get her education. She inspired me.”
Yagana
went to the government and recruited Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, a senior adviser
to President Ashraf Ghani, as well as Sarwar Danish, a vice president. Naderi
is paying Jahantab’s university tuition and Danish will pay the rent on the
family’s home in Kabul.
went to the government and recruited Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, a senior adviser
to President Ashraf Ghani, as well as Sarwar Danish, a vice president. Naderi
is paying Jahantab’s university tuition and Danish will pay the rent on the
family’s home in Kabul.
“They
said she is a symbol for women and education,” said Yagana.
said she is a symbol for women and education,” said Yagana.
In a
country that remains deeply conservative and patriarchal, Jahantab’s husband,
Musa Mohammadi, would seem an anomaly.
country that remains deeply conservative and patriarchal, Jahantab’s husband,
Musa Mohammadi, would seem an anomaly.
“I am so
proud of my wife,” said Mohammadi, who never attended school and is illiterate.
proud of my wife,” said Mohammadi, who never attended school and is illiterate.
“That’s
not the life I want for my children,” he said. “I see a sign on the road and I
can’t read it. I go to the pharmacy to get medicine, but I can’t read the name
of the pills. That’s not right. It is very difficult for me.”
not the life I want for my children,” he said. “I see a sign on the road and I
can’t read it. I go to the pharmacy to get medicine, but I can’t read the name
of the pills. That’s not right. It is very difficult for me.”
Before
taking her entrance exams in March, Mohammadi said his wife taught children in
the open field beneath the blistering summer sun. “I saw how many people wanted
education. They all brought their children for her to teach.”
taking her entrance exams in March, Mohammadi said his wife taught children in
the open field beneath the blistering summer sun. “I saw how many people wanted
education. They all brought their children for her to teach.”
“Jahantab
has given light to the women in our village,” said Hesani. “We respect her. My
wife is so interested now in going to school after she saw Jahantab.”
has given light to the women in our village,” said Hesani. “We respect her. My
wife is so interested now in going to school after she saw Jahantab.”
Still,
there’s a lingering fear that any peace deal with the Taliban would set back
the fragile gains made over the last 17 years. Already, women’s rights groups
have assailed Ghani’s government for failing to pass legislation to protect
women and allowing clerics to rail against rights for women, stalling the
little progress made thus far.
there’s a lingering fear that any peace deal with the Taliban would set back
the fragile gains made over the last 17 years. Already, women’s rights groups
have assailed Ghani’s government for failing to pass legislation to protect
women and allowing clerics to rail against rights for women, stalling the
little progress made thus far.
Masuda
Karokhi, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press she is “tired and
disappointed” that each time legislators press for laws to advance the rights
of women, including a law to eliminate violence against women, conservative
members intervene to delay it. She said the government panders to those members
at the expense of women’s rights.
Karokhi, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press she is “tired and
disappointed” that each time legislators press for laws to advance the rights
of women, including a law to eliminate violence against women, conservative
members intervene to delay it. She said the government panders to those members
at the expense of women’s rights.
A 2017
Human Rights Watch report on Afghanistan said attempts to reform family law,
including divorce provisions, have stalled.
Human Rights Watch report on Afghanistan said attempts to reform family law,
including divorce provisions, have stalled.
At a
conference on violence against women, Karokhi said one conservative member of
parliament argued that Islamic law allowed for violence against women.
conference on violence against women, Karokhi said one conservative member of
parliament argued that Islamic law allowed for violence against women.
“Why is
it that if a woman laughs, these conservative men say there is something in
Shariah (Islamic law) that says it is wrong, but men can do anything and there
is nothing in Shariah against them,” Karokhi said. “It’s so disappointing and
frustrating, the attitudes of men in Afghanistan.”
it that if a woman laughs, these conservative men say there is something in
Shariah (Islamic law) that says it is wrong, but men can do anything and there
is nothing in Shariah against them,” Karokhi said. “It’s so disappointing and
frustrating, the attitudes of men in Afghanistan.”
