Afghan Teen Paves the Way for Girls’ Education Amid Taliban Restrictions
In the world’s only country where girls are barred from going to school, a remarkable young woman is paving a new path to education. Nargis, who requested partial anonymity for her safety, is the 17-year-old founder of the Innovative Learning Academy (ILA), a free online school for girls. ILA is transforming the educational landscape for hundreds of Afghan girls and young women who have been deprived of their right to learn and grow.
Nargis spent most of her childhood in Badakhshan, where her passion for education began to take root, nurtured by her father’s support. She attended high school in Mazar-e-Sharif, the fourth largest city in the country, where she thrived from grades 7 to 10, but her dreams were cut short on December 21, 2022.
“I still remember it was our final exams of grade 10,” Nargis tells More to Her Story. “I left the school early that day. But when I left, I left forever because we couldn’t go back to school the next day. It was the blackest day of my life. The Taliban stopped my car and asked me why I was going anywhere without a mahram (male guardian).” This encounter marked the beginning of a year-long period at home, during which Nargis devoted herself to self-study and planning for the future.
The Taliban’s resurgence has had devastating consequences for women and girls in Afghanistan. Under their regime, women and girls face state-sanctioned gender apartheid. Women who once pursued careers and education are confined to their homes and stripped of their autonomy and dreams, plunging many into a state of hopelessness and despair. A recent Fuller Project and Zan Times investigation revealed the rate of female suicides in Afghanistan now surpasses that of male suicides.
Nargis devotes herself to self-study after the Taliban bars her and millions of girls from going to school.
Yet, amid this oppression, Nargis’s resilience is palpable. In October of 2023, she decided it was time to act and reached out to her best friend with a bold idea: “Let’s open some free online classes for girls,” she suggested. Her friend agreed, offering to teach English while Nargis would teach Pashto.
The response to their initiative was overwhelming. Within a month, over 100 girls had joined the five initial classes. Nargis's father suggested she open more classes—a whole virtual school—so more girls could continue their education. She discussed the idea with her team, leading to the creation of ILA. Within six months, 900 girls had enrolled, supported by about 65 volunteers.
ILA now offers a wide range of courses, including English, Pashto, Turkish, German, and Arabic, as well as business, math, anatomy, and Quran courses. Art and calligraphy are coming soon. ILA recently opened a course to help students prepare for the Kankor exam, Afghanistan's highly competitive national university entrance exam. With the Taliban's ban on girls' secondary and higher education, some might question the need for such a course, but Nargis is convinced it is necessary to keep girls’ spirits high.
“About 30 girls requested us to provide this opportunity for them because they haven't been able to attend school for the past three years,” Nargis said. “This helps them review their lessons, and if the Taliban allows them to take the Kankor exam, they will be prepared to pass successfully.”
Now, ILA has nearly 1,000 girls enrolled in its online courses, and more are expected to join in the coming months.
“The things that motivate me are my love for my country and my family's support, especially my father's,” Nargis said. “People told me I should stay home because I'm a girl and can't do anything. They even advised my parents not to value their daughters. But my dad always supported me and valued all his daughters. I hope to one day become successful enough to show that girls can make their parents proud, and it’s not about gender. If a boy can do it, why not me?"