- Female Vulnerability – Afghan women and children are considered to be society's lowest and routinely fail to access basic human rights. Barriers such as early marriage, low enrolment, poor infrastructure and the lack of female instructors are exacerbated by entrenched cultural norms that oppose female education. They are also regularly thwarted by an inadequate justice system in which authorities rarely properly investigate cases of violence and bring perpetrators to justice. While the Afghan Constitution has outlawed gender-based discrimination and guarantees equality between women and men, reality indicates that the enjoyment of women's rights remains elusive throughout the country.
- Education – Approximately half of Afghan children have not set foot in a classroom. In conjunction with uncertain national security, rugged terrain and lack of school infrastructure has exacerbated low attendance rates and a shortage of skilled teachers. Under the Taliban regime, females were routinely subject to violence and intimidation which prevented them from realising their right to education. These factors have led to an adult literacy rate of just 38%, one of the lowest in the world.
Sources:
CIA WorldFact Book - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html
UNDP - http://www.lk.undp.org/content/srilanka/en/home/countryinfo/
Afghanistan Culture - http://www.afghanistans.com/Information/Climate.htm
UNICEF - http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/files/ACO_Education_Factsheet_-_November_2011_.pdf
