IPS

India Claims “Knowledge is Power”

February 26th, 2011. 4:07PM EST

By: Kay

Inter Press Service

Afghanistan is very concerned about women and their education. Women are in danger while attending schools because they are targeted by the Taliban. The Human Rights Committee is currently discussing the issue of segregating schools by gender.

Afghanistan strongly believes that women should be segregated in schools, and be moved to a safer environment to study as the Taliban does not want women to get an education. Women make up a significant proportion of Afghanistan’s population. They have been killed and threatened to be burned and executed by the Taliban if they attend school.

Although most of the population believes that boys and girls should be educated together, they are still urging for segregation. Afghan’s religious and cultural beliefs also lean towards this segregation because it is believed that women should not be with a lot of men in the same room getting an education while also covering themselves so no body parts show, adding that some parents do not want their daughters to be educated by male teachers.

The DRC supports segregation in schools and says that “education of girls is the best step.” France thinks that opening up French schools would be the solution instead of segregating the students. Many other countries such as Columbia, who states that human rights and women’s education are highly important, and China, who in the same way states that as long as women are getting a good education, segregation is not a problem, support Afghanistan on its ideas. India claims that “knowledge is power”; women do need power to support them, and education is how they will get that power.

Brazil on the other hand is also a supporter, but has concerns.  I had the chance to talk to the delegate, and he says that segregation can be a good idea, but that also causes discrimination. By putting women in different places to study and providing them with safety, the men are still in danger by the Taliban. There is no reason for them not to also attack the men. Brazil thinks that maybe putting them together and giving them the same equal education while offering higher security could be a solution.

US Army vehicles patrolling the village. The Obama administration is still considering deploying troops to Afghanistan.