From Dw · · 1m 20s
Afghan women lose last education path
US cuts funding to Afghan university, dashing women's education hopes.
In brief
US cuts funding to Afghan university, dashing women's education hopes. US stops funding American University of Afghanistan, leaving women without higher education access. Originally reported by Dw.
Laila's education crisis
Laila, a mid-twenties political science student, fears AUAF will shut after US funding ends.
“Laila said she sat on her bed, staring, her thoughts racing through the past five years and everything she had endured just to get an education.”
Taliban ban on women's education
Taliban banned women from university in August 2021, forcing Laila to study secretly online.
“That was the day the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, they soon forced women out of public life, banning them from many jobs and from attending school and university.”
AUAF's online program
Laila studies online with classmates using aliases to avoid Taliban surveillance.
“I just know their voices, she said.”
US funding history
US funded AUAF with $25 million grant, but stopped after 2018 financial audit.
“John Sopko, a former US federal inspector, oversaw that investigation. When DW contacted him for this story, he replied, 'I was surprised they were still funding AUAF.'”
US State Department's stance
US State Department says AUAF can find other funders but admits funding cut is risky.
“But without the $25 million grant the State Department recently refused, the university's future is in doubt.”
Patrick Fine's perspective
Former USAID director says AUAF is still a useful investment for Afghan women.
“It is still a useful investment, a worthy investment, and the reason for that is that it's one of the few organizations left that is reaching Afghan women.”
Laila's current struggle
Laila has lost motivation after US funding cut, fearing Taliban detention.
“What if they see my emails from my work, from my university? It's always in the back of my head that maybe tomorrow it's my turn. Maybe they will detain me.”
AUAF's founding purpose
AUAF was founded to educate Afghan women, with US support from Laura Bush in 2006.
“These are more than just development projects. They also signify the bond between the American and Afghan people. They are symbols of our shared hopes and dreams.”
Funding cut consequences
AUAF may shut entirely without US funding, leaving women without higher education.
“I have lost all my motivation and hope, she said, adding that each time she prepares for a lecture, she wonders whether there will be another.”
What happens next
Afghan women face complete loss of higher education access without AUAF.
“Maybe I'm so disappointed that I can't even cry about it.”
The essence
US stops funding American University of Afghanistan, leaving women without higher education access.
