Afghan women continue medical studies in Scotland after Taliban ban

When the Taliban banned females from attending university in Afghanistan, Zahra Hussaini draw her dream of becoming a doctor became over. Now, she is persevering with her clinical stage in Britain.

“Coming to Scotland, it modified every thing. It has given me hope for a greater future,” the 20-year-worn told AFP in Glasgow, where she arrived ideally suited month to resume her studies.

“I will turn into a doctor, I will turn into honest financially and I will wait on my family, my neighborhood to the most life like possible of my skill,” she added.

Hussaini is believed to be one of 19 female clinical college students from Afghanistan who landed in Scotland on August 21 following a 3-year campaign by the Linda Norgrove Basis.

Norgrove became a 36-year-worn Scottish wait on worker who became kidnapped by Islamist militants in Afghanistan and killed all thru a failed rescue strive by US particular forces in 2010.

The foundation, fashioned by her fogeys in her name, mentioned that the faculty students had typically been confined to their properties for the reason that Taliban issued its ban on females studying at universities in December 2022.

The Taliban authorities include implemented an austere interpretation of Islamic law since returning to energy in Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US forces.

Ladies include borne the brunt of restrictions that the United Nations has labelled “gender apartheid”.

“They didn’t allow me to rating my specialisation in Afghanistan,” mentioned 25-year-worn clinical pupil Fariba Asifi, who will be now studying at Glasgow College.

“Now I include I am the luckiest individual that I am right here and I will continue my education and I dwell this probability to continue my education and follow my dream. I’m so excited and I’m truly pleased.”

The girl arrived in Scotland after the devolved Scottish authorities in Edinburgh amended funding regulations to make certain that they would possibly perhaps well be handled like Scottish college students and be eligible completely free tuition.

Some are studying at St Andrews, Dundee and Aberdeen.

The foundation mentioned it needed to sure a necessity of hurdles for the females to execute it to Scotland, collectively with negotiating shuttle to Pakistan to appear at for UK visas, organising English language assessments and university interviews over Skype.

It also secured lodging and UK financial institution accounts and mentioned it had spent o60,000 ($seventy 9,000) in all.

“Finally, these 19 extremely talented younger females rating their future wait on with the opportunity of a natty education and a occupation. The different for them in Afghanistan wasn’t fair actual,” Linda’s father John Norgove mentioned in a assertion.

Asifi mentioned she hoped so as to return to Afghanistan to work as a doctor at some point.

“It be now not a eternal danger, it is speedy-term, it would possibly perhaps well commerce and at some point we’re going to have the selection to include a shining Afghanistan, a tranquil country.

“And at some point, I’m reasonably sure we’re going to have the selection to ogle all ladies, all ladies can rating, can rating education, rating working and getting their enjoyable. And we wants to be optimistic we’re going to have the selection to include a shining Afghanistan. It be arrive.”