Education of Hazara Girls in a Diaspora : education as empowerment and an agent of change

Abstract

Afghanistan is a country which has experienced years of conflict and war. This unrest has forced large numbers of Afghans into diasporas, Hazaras comprising one of these groups. Hazaras have mainly fled from rural Hazarajat to more urban areas in Pakistan. Marginalization of Hazaras in general and girls in particular, both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, restricts their ability to, for example, access education and challenge traditional gender roles. However, in the authors’ view, the change of locality is but one factor that has altered what kind of marginalization they experience, changing, among other things, the sentiments toward girls’ education, as well as their access to schools. In analysing interviews conducted with Hazara parents, teachers and female students in Pakistan, the authors argue that this situation in a diaspora has made girls’ education more accessible, and can be seen as an agent of change for both individuals and the Hazaras as a group.