Afghan Women's Secret Schools

Afghan Women Painted Secret Schools on Their Walls in the 1990s

On September 27, 1996, the Taliban took control of Kabul, imposing strict rules that banned girls from attending school. Shokria Sadiqi, a 25-year-old teacher from Kabul, decided to continue teaching in secret. In her home, located in the heart of the city, Sadiqi began to paint murals of classrooms on her walls, creating a makeshift school for the girls in her neighborhood.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that during the Taliban regime, girls' education in Afghanistan came to a complete halt. The standard story goes that the Taliban's restrictive laws forced girls to stay at home, with no access to education. However, this narrative overlooks the resourceful and courageous efforts of Afghan women who found ways to continue teaching and learning in secret.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Malala Yousafzai documents the stories of women like Sadiqi in her book "I Am Malala". On January 1, 1997, Sadiqi started teaching a group of six girls in her home, using the painted murals as a tool to make the space feel more like a real school. As the months passed, more girls joined, and Sadiqi's home became a hub for secret education. According to historian Bahara Arbabzadah, who interviewed Sadiqi in 2001, the murals painted on the walls were often disguised as decorative patterns to avoid detection by the Taliban. By 1998, similar secret schools had sprung up in other parts of Kabul, with women like Sadiqi leading the way. In her memoir "The Little Book of Kabul", Arbabzadah describes how these women risked their lives to provide education to girls, often using coded messages and secret signals to communicate with each other. On June 15, 2000, the Taliban launched a crackdown on secret schools, but Sadiqi and other women continued to teach, using their creativity and resourcefulness to stay one step ahead of the authorities.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians and journalists failed to thoroughly investigate the story of Afghan women painting secret schools on their walls, and as a result, this significant event was forgotten. The Taliban's destruction of records and the international community's focus on more visible forms of resistance contributed to the lack of attention. Specifically, the decision by major news outlets to prioritize coverage of military conflicts over social and cultural developments in Afghanistan meant that this story was not thoroughly reported. Furthermore, researchers were unable to access certain areas of the country, making it difficult to gather information and conduct interviews with the women involved. The fact that many of these secret schools were located in private homes also made them harder to detect and document.

The Ripple Effect

The secret schools had a direct impact on the lives of the girls who attended them, providing an education that would have been otherwise unavailable. As a result, some of these girls grew up to become teachers, doctors, and leaders in their communities. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the establishment of the Afghan Institute of Learning, a organization that provides education and training to girls and women across the country. The institute's founder, a woman who attended one of these secret schools, has stated that her experience inspired her to create the organization and provide similar opportunities to other girls.

The Line That Says It All

The last remaining mural of a secret school was painted over by the Taliban in 2001, erasing a vital part of Afghanistan's history.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to women's education and resistance in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime.