By Ziba Balkhi
Monira was only nine years old when the Taliban first took control of Afghanistan in the 1990s. Back then, as now, the fundamentalist Islamic group set upon its agenda of subjecting women to fewer rights and freedoms than men. Women and girls were denied an education. But also then, like now, many women defied the group in secret, risking their lives in the pursuit of true knowledge.
Monira* was one of the lucky ones – a girl whose family believed her education was more important than the Taliban threats. With their support and courage, she attended a secret school for the years the Taliban were in power. When they were ousted in 2001, Monira was already up to speed with her education.
Now with the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, the 34-year-old is giving girls the same opportunity she had in the 90s.
With four other women, in a northern Afghanistan province, Monira has established a secret school for girls that follows the high school syllabus banned by the Taliban.
“Girls now are like those of us who faced the Taliban in their first regime. We can empathize well with these girls. We decided to help the girls deprived of school by creating a secret school,” Monira says.
“Subjects include English language and computer studies, and classes run for three hours every day.”
The Taliban has threatened and punished those found to be teaching girls against their directive. Rukhshana Media has verified the school’s operation but is not publishing the specific location and times for security reasons.
The school has been running for more than one year, beginning in January 2023 after it became clear Taliban’s commitment to uphold education for girls was a false promise.
The school currently has around 50 students above the sixth grade.
Monira said her and her four friends all studied secretly during the previous Taliban era which made it easier for them to later attend university.
“We were almost nine years old in the 1990s and studied in secret schools. When schools reopened, we were able to easily pass exams for several years in a row and eventually succeed in our desired university,” she says.
All five of the women were working when the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in August 2021. They lost their jobs and have struggled with the restrictive policies preventing their autonomy. She says they decided to create this secret school so that girls would not face the same fate as theirs.
Monira is careful what she reveals about the educational program, but she says that the girls and their families have welcomed it greatly.
“Students are very happy to come to this educational place and are optimistic about their future. On the other hand, they are very worried that one day the door of this place might be closed to them,” she says.
Monira says they have taken numerous precautions for their work.
“There is no specific uniform, and the school authorities and teachers have disciplined two students daily to patrol around the school as a routine precaution in case the Taliban come to this place and catch them studying and writing,” she says.
“If the Taliban come, we quickly inform the students to open religious school textbooks instead of school subjects.”
She says that during the first Taliban rule, there were fewer secret schools compared to this current time. But what hasn’t changed is the enthusiasm of the girls in both eras who are motivated to take advantage of the opportunities despite the risks.
“Back then, there were very few secret schools, and only some relatively educated families would allow their daughters to attend. Others wouldn’t allow it and would turn the secret schools into religious schools,” she says.
She says her experience of being a student in the first Taliban era helped her create the school today.
“We had only one teacher who taught us. That secret school was a bit more basic back then. We only learned reading and writing. But currently, in our school we are studying subjects like science, mathematics, English, and everything else, and we have several teachers,” she says.
Laila*, 36, is another teacher at the secret school who has been involved since the beginning.
She says it was an opportunity to maintain girls’ education until Afghanistan is freed from the rule of the Taliban again.
“When we realized that our fight to end the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan would require more time and that the Taliban group in Afghanistan had no intention of reopening schools, we started with a small group,” she says.
“We expanded a system of homeschooling for girls until we created this secret school. Our work initially started with a limited number of people. Gradually, the number of our students increased, and we held several classes taught by multiple teachers.
“Although we were tired, our only goal was the education and upbringing of adolescent girls. We fought day and night, found a suitable place, and experienced teachers.
“Even though our hands are empty, our will is strong.”
Laila says that while many girls are in a state of despair because of the continued restrictions imposed by the Taliban. But these systems they are setting up restore hope to those who can access it.
Despite the renewed hope, the sense of vigilance among the teachers and students is ever-present. One of the students reluctantly agreed to speak to Rukhshana Media, but her nervousness was clear.
Madina*, 16, has been attending the secret school for eight months. She was in eighth grade when the Taliban took power in 2021 and refused to allow girls above grade six to return to school.
“When the doors of the schools were closed to us, we became hopeless and we were worried about our future,” Madina says.
“My mother is illiterate and has a nervous disorder. I was afraid that I would also remain illiterate like my mother and not be able to achieve my goals and dreams. Now I am very happy.”
Madina hopes to become a lawyer, but realizes that if Taliban stay in power, it’s unlikely she will ever achieve it.
There are currently no women working in the Taliban’s judicial system. But Madina is determined.
“I come here every day. To avoid suspicion from the Taliban, I wear a black religious school dress,” she says.
“I study my lessons regularly and strive to one day fulfill my dream.”
Suhaila*, 13, has been attending for seven months. She was in the seventh grade when the Taliban closed her school. She wanted to become a doctor but says she thought continuing her education would be impossible.
She heard about the secret school seven months ago by accident from one of her neighbors. She was ecstatic – but she tempers it.
“I am very happy. I wish the schools could reopen, and I could go back. I am happy in my heart [with the current school], but I’m a little scared that the Taliban will close our school,” she says.
Note*: Names have been changed due to security reasons.
