The hard-won successes from the last two decades , however , could be under threat if the Taliban gain too much power in the peace talks .
“ The support I received from families was unbelievable ,” she said . “ The strongest advocates are grandmothers . There has been no hesitation for girls ’ education . Their main concern is lack of female teachers and easily accessible school buildings .” In unfamiliar neighborhoods , the elders accompany women like Zainab who are making the house calls .
“ I ’ ve received so many calls from men , even from those Afghans who work in gulf countries , asking me to talk to their families to allow their female family members to attend school and literacy courses . People are hungry for education ,” said Zainab .
Afghan women have fought hard to get the support of their families and communities to continue their education as well as to be able to earn an income . The hard-won successes from the last two decades , however , could be under threat if the Taliban gain too much power in the peace talks . Girls ' education and women ' s rights , in particular , are under threat . Women make up more than 50 % of the population , and youth ( people below the age of 25 as defined by the UN Population Fund ) make up 63 %. Their needs and concerns must be taken into consideration by the Afghan government and the Taliban in any agreement over a political settlement .
Afghans today are willing to risk their lives for education and for the rights of women .
There are some in the international community who claim that the Taliban have changed and if returned to power , either in full or in part , they will not impose harsh restrictions on girls and women like they did when they were in power in the early 90s . As much as Afghans want to believe that , they do not share the same level of optimism expressed by those in the international community .
As recently as this August , and despite promises to permit girls to be educated , the Taliban prevented some 200 female high school graduates from Mah-e-May and Nusay districts of Badakhshan province from taking the university entrance exam . The exam determines which students are admitted to public universities .
The students were traveling to Shekay district where the exam was taking place . The Taliban threatened to
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