File photo taken on Sept. 16, 2017 shows an Afghan female student attends in a class at a high school in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. While peace and security has been restored in major parts of the once troubled southern region of Afghanistan, there remains a disproportionately large number of girls who have been deprived of the opportunity to complete school in the southern Kandahar province. (Xinhua/Manan Arghand)
by Abdul Haleem, Manan Arghand
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- While peace and security has been restored in major parts of the once troubled southern region of Afghanistan, there remains a disproportionately large number of girls who have been deprived of the opportunity to complete school in the southern Kandahar province.
In Kandahar, the former stronghold of the hardliner Taliban group, parents rarely allow their daughters to complete their high school education and go to university for further education.
"It was my dream to become a doctor in the future but this has ended in a fiasco because of the opposition of my parents and the overly patriarchal environment arising from harmful old traditions and cultural barriers," a school-aged girl told Xinhua in recent talks.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the young girl said, "it is difficult and even risky for a girl here to talk openly about such topics."
In conservative Afghanistan, especially in rural areas where people deeply believe in tribal traditions, many parents are against girls' education and are reluctant to reveal the names of their families' female members.
Serving as the spiritual capital of the Taliban outfit until its collapse under the U.S.-led military invasion in late 2001, Kandahar had experienced bloody clashes and violent incidents until 2015.
Since then, however, the security situation has improved and presently the former restive province is safer than the neighboring Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.
Nevertheless, little change has been seen in the progress of education for girls as the dark shadow of ongoing insurgency and cultural barriers continue to undermine education for girls in Kandahar where people largely believe in outdated traditions.
Both the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) groups that are active in parts of Afghanistan and are in opposition to the education of girls, have threatened and intimidated families not sending their daughters to school.
Hundreds of schools have reportedly remained closed, mostly in the southern and eastern region due to security problems arising from Taliban and IS threats.
Earlier this month, as many as 31 schools were shut down due to Taliban-led insurgency in the eastern Afghan provinces.
As an example of the educational quagmire for girls in Kandahar, the Provincial Education Director, Abdul Qader Paiwastoon, said that no girl has graduated from high school in Kandahar's 17 districts in the last 15 years.
"No girl has completed the 12th grade in any of Kandahar's districts over the past 15 years, although the security situation has improved," Paiwastoon told Xinhua.
Hinting at cultural barriers, Paiwastoon asserted that the cooperation of tribal elders and religious scholars is vital for creating an environment in which it is safe for girls to receive an education.
Conversely, the current situation in Kandahar's provincial capital Kandahar city is different, as girls besides completing school can also attend university to complete their higher education.
More than 70,000 girls, according to provincial officials, are currently studying in schools in Kandahar, but few of them will complete 12th grade and hence will not graduate from high school or be eligible to enroll at universities.
"We school girls are hopeful that our elders will one day encourage us to complete our schooling so that we can go to universities," the young girl told Xinhua, with a hint of optimism in her eyes.