Thursday, December 3, 2009

Post 1: Unit 1-Afghanistan

Recap-My research over the topic of Afghanistan women's education was very useful. There were many resources that told me about the facts. For example, 43.1% of male are literate but there are only 12.6% of female are literate. Not only did I learn the facts of what is going on in Afghanistan, but I found some sources telling of some women's stories. For example, I learned the story of Zia which is about a 45 year old wife under the Taliban regime. She started attending schooling from Women for Women where she learned to knit. These stories of the women who have to suffer because of the Taliban really made me think of everything I have and to be appreciative.

Revisit-The life of the Afghan women in Afghanistan has not changed much. Even 8 years after the end of the Taliban rule, Afghan women get slided on their rights still. According to Norah Niland, head of UNAMA's human rights units and a representative of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, women's participation in any form of voting or decision-making has severely decreased. The women of Afghanistan are so afraid of been raped, hurt, beaten, or forced into prostitution like they have been in the past years by the Taliban that they don't want to risk that chance. UNAMA says 90% of women in rural areas still cannot read or write and the literacy rate now is 12.6%. Which as you can see, when I revisited, the literacy rate is the same as it was before in August. Even though the literacy level is really low, there are many Afghanistan women who attend schooling. One of these programs is called RAWA, Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, which is an underground school trying to teach young girls and women how to read and write. They are trying to increase the number of women who do not know how to read and write. Although with the government not taking a real care in what is happening to the women, women's rights and literacy will not get better.

Reflect-Women in Afghanistan have it tougher than we would ever have it in the United States. When we think about how much we do not like school, these women in Afghanistan would love to be able to go to school. You learn that you take everything that you have for granted. These women are so scared of walking out around the cities because they are so afraid of what will happen to them. The sense of nationalism, pride for ones country, is gone because they have been scared for so long that everyday that they are living is a blessing to them. Nationalism should be important, but when you have to live a tough life, threatened, and the government all in whack it's really hard to be able to say, "I love my country." These women who go to get their education underground are brave and smart enough to know that they do need an education. The fact that their literacy rate is only 12.6% and the women going to school underground shows how much they would do for their country to make it better. These women, even though they are lower class to us, are braver than most of us will ever be and will someday experience the freedom that we have.

Here two women share a book to read.

Here a woman is teaching her skills to the class.

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