Take the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #4 for example which requires us to
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Few would disagree with this, and yet, it becomes all but impossible without SDG #5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
None of these goals are easy. All are challenging. But without the active and often inspiring work of women teachers, sometimes in the most difficult of circumstances, none are possible.
Moving backwards?
In many parts of the world, however, progress in achieving these goals is slow and in others we seem to be going backwards. The effects of regime change in my homeland during 2021 have been devastating and the impact on education, especially for girls and their teachers, disastrous.
It would easy to be downhearted and discouraged, but it is important not to be. In fact, the difficulties we face have made me realize how important it is to be a teacher. Honestly, at the beginning of my career, I did not have an interest in teaching. When I first started working as a teacher, I saw it mainly as a job, not as something meaningful for my life. Over time, however, my perspective changed. I slowly realized that teaching is not just a profession; it is a way to do something important, particularly for other women. It became a way for me to support girls in my country, especially in the current situation in Afghanistan, where girls’ education is severely restricted.