Rukhsar Balkhi ’23 Spoke with Spectrum News about the Taliban’s Ban on Women’s Education

The news of the Taliban’s ban on women’s and girls’ education hit close to home for Rukhsar Balkhi ’23. “It’s something very personal,” Balkhi said to Spectrum News. “Because I have been through it. I have been in Afghanistan. And I know the value of education as an Afghan woman.” After fleeing Afghanistan in August of 2021, Balkhi matriculated at Bard, where she is a human rights major. While she never lived under Taliban rule, Balkhi never took her own educational opportunities for granted. “I had a lot of threats,” she said. “But at least I had the freedom to go to university, to go to school, to go to courses.” Now, she hopes to pursue not only a bachelor’s in human rights, but a master’s degree in international affairs, putting her education to use for the struggle for educational freedom for Afghan women and women worldwide.

Post Date: 01-23-2023