It was an extraordinary privilege to meet a group of girls from Afghanistan last month to prepare for a special webinar to raise awareness and call for action to support girls’ education in Afghanistan. They shared their personal stories, challenges, hopes and ambitions in a UK-wide webinar on 3rd March, which we hosted as part of the Festival.
The four girls (aged 13-17) who have lost their right to education, along with 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan, spoke to young people in the UK with passion, hope and eloquence about their lives.
They talked about the ways they have found to access learning online, sometimes through underground schools and any way they can, recognising the power of education and the need to educate themselves in the absence of any provision in Afghanistan for girls. Their positivity was inspirational, but their plight is desperate.
UK schools and young people can advocate for the right to education for girls in Afghanistan. Access the webinar recording and education resources provided below, consider the suggestions for ways to help and get involved and support them in any way you can.
How UK schools and pupils can help
- Talk about the issues raised in the webinar by Afghan girls and in the education pack
- Read some of the letters from Afghan girls in an assembly
- Create posters for display in classrooms
- Write an item to be included in the school newsletter
- Write to your MP to raise awareness of the issues and ask for action to help Afghan girls – including offering scholarships in the UK to Afghan girls
- Write letters to Afghan Girls and post these on social media or email to info@themaidenfactor.org who will pass them on to girls in Afghanistan
- Choose a hashtag and start a social media campaign
- Post your letters and posters on X or Instagram with the hashtags #letafghangirlslearn and #wehearyourvoices so that they will be seen and shared by Afghan women and girls.
Resources
Access these resources to help young people engage in this issue and support girls’ education in Afghanistan:
- Click here to download the Let Afghan Girls Learn Education Pack with information and activities to introduce global issues into the classroom, with interactive lessons and resources
- Click here to download additional letters from girls in Afghanistan
- Register for a recording of the webinar by emailing your school name and address, no. pupils expected to participate and your school contact name to info@expressyourselfne.com
- Click here to read more about the background to this issue and the webinar