Several female educators have their concerns in response to a letter issued by the Ministry of Education under the Taliban, which was disseminated to schools in Kabul and several other provinces. This letter that, beginning from the 22nd of July this year, the monthly stipend for female teachers who have been forced to remain at home would be reduced to five thousand Afghanis. These educators predict that this drastic reduction will confront them with severe economic challenges.
Some female teachers assert that such a decrease in their salaries to five thousand Afghanis will present them with a formidable economic crisis.
Afsana Rahimi is one of the teachers who has been confined to her home following the prohibition of girls above the sixth grade from attending school.
“I dedicated years to my education to teach as a professional teacher. I taught girls in grades ten to twelve at the bachelor’s level, but after the closure of schools to girls above the sixth grade, I too, was rendered housebound. Alongside the confinement at home and the ensuing economic difficulties, our salaries have now dwindled to five thousand Afghanis. While I may manage to navigate my own economic hardships, many other educators lack such resources,” Afsana Rahimi said.
Meanwhile, several educators express their hope that, following the reactions and demands for increased salaries for female employees forced into confinement, the decision-maker’s stance on this issue might change.
Malalai Mohammadi, another educator who has found herself confined to her home, comments, “We had anticipated and hoped that this decision would be revised, preventing our salaries from being reduced to five thousand Afghanis. Unfortunately, there has been no change in this decree. I fail to understand why women’s salaries should be diminished when the majority of us are the breadwinners for our families, confronting the prospect of dire economic challenges.”
Marzia Samadi, one of the teachers who bear the responsibility of supporting her family, is deeply concerned about how she will manage to meet her family’s expenses moving forward.
She states, “The salaries for teachers were already modest, with those amounting to seven thousand, and bachelor’s degree holders earning between nine to ten thousand Afghanis; we were not receiving substantial compensation. Additionally, the responsibility of supporting our families rests on our shoulders. How can we address even the most basic of our issues with just five thousand Afghanis? With this sum, we cannot adequately meet the needs of ourselves and our children.”
These concerns have arisen following the recent decree issued by Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, which set the salaries of female employees in government positions confined to their homes at a mere five thousand Afghanis.
- نویسنده : Afghanistan Women News Agency
- منبع خبر : Afghanistan Women News Agency
