KHOST CITY (SW): Educated women and girls in Khost province complain they are facing discrimination in getting public sector jobs such as teachings and others.
In Khost girls’ schools, men of older age can be seen teaching various classes while educated women and girls allegedly denied these jobs are sitting home. A number of such girls told Salam Watandar they are preferred over men, even of older age, for these jobs.
Latifa, one such educated girl, informed that she has completed 14 years of studies, but is unable to find job, and there are many girls like her in the province. Latifa noted that she appeared in many examinations for the post of teaching, but men got selected, and she was not.
Some male teachers in the province claim there is no budget or formation for female teachers what so ever.
Gul Wali Shah, one such teacher, claimed female teachers do not have the skills and expertise to match with their male counterparts. He also highlighted the cultural impediments in this regard. Mohammad Saqeb, another male teacher, claimed usually women and girls do not attend winter classes, and hence are not competent enough to teach.
Meanwhile, the civil society activists in Khost reject these notions.
Bakht Noor Bakhtyar, head of the directorate of education, said in this regard that one main factor hindering the appointment of female teachers is the girls’ unwillingness to go and teach in remote districts. He said there are no vacancies available in the proximity of Khost city, and the parents of educated girls are not allowing them to go and teach in remote areas.
Khost has a relatively higher level of female education in this part of the country, but lack of job opportunities for women and girls remains a challenge.
ENDS
