Afghanistan's secret schools for girls

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, they've governed the country with a very strict understanding of Islamic laws.

Many of these strict rules put limits on Afghan girls and women. The Taliban allows them to attend primary schools and universities but secondary schools remain shut causing secret girls' schools to open up.

Nafeesa attends one of these secret schools. However, she tells her brother she's taking religious lessons at a madrasa, which is a Qur'an school.

Nafeesa: "My brother is a Talib, he wouldn't allow me to come here. He even tried to stop me when I was in grade eight. I use madrasa as an excuse to come here. My brother doesn't know that I come to school here, only my mother supports me."

Classes take place in teachers' homes, which is dangerous for teachers. Tamkin, a secret teacher, used to be famous for talking about religious subjects.

Tamkin: "Recently, some Taliban have moved in the house in front of us. They have asked several times what is going on here. I have asked the girls to say it is a madrasa. People in the neighbourhood know that I have studied shariah and women rights, and in the past I used to speak about religious topics on TV."

The Taliban's agreed to open secondary schools for girls, but it hasn't happened. They say they're still developing a suitable Islamic curriculum for girls. However, teachers, like Tamkin, carry on teaching. They want their students to have a better life than they had.

Tamkin: "I didn't want these girls to be like me, they should have a better future than me. Currently, many minor girls are forced to get married, like I was. I was engaged at 12 years old. I struggled a lot to get an education, that's why I don't want them to go through as much." View Less