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Jordan Beese
Mrs. Barnes
English 112
6 April 2015
Equal Education for All
If we could get everyone in the world to agree on education equality it would help many
peoples dreams come true. For example, girls that are not permitted to go to school because of
the Taliban. Some of these girls have big aspirations to become doctors or to go to college which,
they are denied of. It is unfair that there is not equality among the boys and girls education rights.
Society needs to make the world aware that the Taliban not allowing girls to attend school is
affecting equal education in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
80% of women in Afghanistan are illiterate (Filkins). This is because if girls go to school
they get punished or even killed.There have been acid attacks and bombings to prevent the girls
from trying to get an education (Filkins). When the police arrested some members of the Taliban
after one of the acid attacks they said they were paid $1,275 for each women they burned
(Filkins). Also, posters that opposed girls education began to appear in Afghanistan (Filkins).
Though there are many consequences to providing girls education, there are still a few open in
Afghanistan (Scott).
The Taliban refuses to allow schooling for girls because they believe it is against the
islamic teaching (Scott). But, this has yet to stop many girls from trying to get a full education.
Taloqan, Afghanistan holds one of the last schools that provide girls education in the area (Scott).
Windows are mostly broken and classrooms are without even the most basic of equipment, such
as desks and chairs (Scott). All these girls want is an education, yet they are getting punished

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for it, and if they are going to school it is in horrible conditions. Other countries, such as the
United States, have started to pick up on this and are trying to make a difference.
President Barack Obama has recently put forth an initiative called Let Girls Learn that
will direct resources toward helping girls attend school (Thompson). Both the president and
first lady have been inspired by Malala Yousafzais story (Thompson). She wanted equal
education rights for girls in Pakistan and spoke out for it (Thompson). The Taliban gunmen shot
her in the head for speaking out about it (Thompson). Also, Michelle Obama is going to promote
a Peace Corps program to address this and other related problems (Thompson). The Taliban has
gotten way too out of hand with education restrictions and it needs to be put to an end as soon as
possible.
We need to come to the fact that there are so many girls in our world that are treated so
horribly for wanting an education, something we take for granted. Most people in America dont
realize how lucky they are to be able to go to school and get a good education. These girls in the
Middle East are fighting and rebelling against the Taliban to learn. Everyone around the world
needs to be aware of these humanitarian issues. If more people are aware of the situation these
girls are being put through then we could all fight to get rid of these laws the Taliban has set so
that we can have equal education for all girls and boys.

Works Cited
Filkins, Dexter. "The price of going to class: in Afghanistan, a resurgent Taliban is doing
everything it can to keep girls out of school. But some refuse to give in." New York Times
Upfront 16 Feb. 2009: 10+. Global Issues in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

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Scott, Roddy. "Against all odds." The Middle East Apr. 1999: 45+. Global Issues in Context.
Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Thompson, Krissah. "Obamas launch global focus on the education of girls." Washington Post 3
Mar. 2015. Global Issues in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.