This year the Festival is hosting a special webinar for 14-18 year olds in UK schools (12-1pm on 3rd March) to find out more about the position of Afghan Girls and support their quest to access education.
This is part of a new initiative from Women’s Rights Network Afghanistan (WRN) and The Maiden Factor who have launched of a ground-breaking educational resource designed for UK upper primary and secondary school pupils highlighting the lack of access to education for girls in Afghanistan. This resource aims to inform students about the challenges faced by Afghan girls and inspire them to take meaningful action.
The webinar on 3rd March will include Tracey Edwards MBE and speakers from Afghanistan, including young women with lived experience. Schools can sign up for the webinar and access the education pack at the event page here and also register if they cannot attend, but want to receive the recording of the webinar afterwards.
The situation of girls in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, 1.4 million girls (source UNESCO) have been denied their right to learn, significantly impacting their future and the development of their communities. This new resource includes interactive lessons, poignant letters and drawings from Afghan girls, and actionable steps that pupils in the UK can take, such as advocacy campaigns and fundraising initiatives. It also encourages them to send messages of hope and support to girls in Afghanistan, like the one who wrote this letter:
I am an Afghan girl. Powerful people always stay strong. I am a strong human being, a girl and nothing stops me from succeeding. I fight to achieve my goals. I am a seventh-grade student who was not allowed to go to school after the sixth grade now that schools are closed to us. In our homes we study English and read books. I wish to work and be very busy and to take my family to all the sights of the world. An Afghan girl has many dreams and should not let a few men who know nothing of science and knowledge to manage the progress of the country. So we must stand in front of the Taliban and say that it is not a crime to educate girls and women.
Let Afghan Girls Learn resource
The education resource is available to all UK schools and includes lesson plans, letters from Afghan girls and suggestions for pupils to engage their communities.
The Maiden Factor advocates for a world where every girl has access to 12 years of quality education; empowering them to choose their future and fulfil their dreams. With this resource our goal is to is to empower UK students to become advocates for Afghan girls and for education equality.
Tracey Edwards MBE, The Maiden Factor
By understanding the struggles faced by Afghan girls, we hope to inspire a generation of change-makers who will fight for educational rights for girls both locally and globally.
Tonia Antoniazzi MP
Girls in my country have been deprived of their dreams, it is important that their voices can be heard, and awareness raised about what is happening here in Afghanistan.
Sara, Lawyer and Journalist, Head of WRN Afghanistan
#LetAfghanGirlsLearn webinar (12-1pm on 3rd March)
Secondary schools, 6th forms and colleges can sign up to a special webinar that will include voices from Afghanistan and give the chance for pupils to ask questions. You can use the education pack in advance of the webinar and afterwards.
The live event will take place at 12-1pm on 3rd March. Schools who register will also receive a recording after the webinar for use in schools.
Find out more about the event here
Email info@expressyourselfne.com providing details of your school, a school contact and the numbers of pupils attending. You will receive a link and joining instructions in advance of the webinar.
You can access the education pack and additional letters from Afghan girls online here and also on the webinar event page.
About The Maiden Factor
Maiden inspires and empowers women and girls to reach their potential through education and brings awareness of gender inequality, specifically disenfranchised women and girls globally with no access to education, to give them the fighting chance they deserve. The Maiden Factor Foundation engages with, fundraises for and supports communities and groups who wish to enable girls into education and to help them remain in education until 18 years old. Click here to find out more.
About WRN Afghanistan
WRN Afghanistan speaks out for women and girls in Afghanistan who are being denied basic and essential human rights. We amplify the voices of the women in Afghanistan who are in contact with us. It is supported by the Women’s Rights Network. Click here to find out more.
Media enquiries
For media inquiries or to speak with those quoted above or with teachers and pupils who have used the resources, please contact Vicky at info@themaidenfactor.org or 07702 115409