Marianne O'Grady

Last updated
Marianne O'Grady
Nationality American
OccupationDeputy country director Afghanistan for Care International
Known forInternational humanitarian work, training teachers and educating women and girls

Marianne O'Grady is an American teacher and Afghanistan's deputy country director for Care International who said that the Taliban "cannot un-educate millions of people" in the fall of Kabul (2021) and anticipated that women would continue to teach other women and girls, even if forced back "behind the wall". [1]

Contents

Teaching career

O'Grady was an American primary school teacher from 1998 to 2009 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and San Francisco, California. She also taught student teachers how to teach mathematics and science at the University of San Francisco Graduate School of Education and at San Francisco State University. [2]

Volunteering during vacations

From 2005 to at least 2009, O'Grady used her school vacations to volunteer in Afghanistan and Belize to help teachers in these countries who could not afford to attend college to learn how to teach science. She also taught about child development. [2]

Her travel and accommodation in remote rural areas were very basic on these trips. O'Grady's teacher training classes were held out of doors and often at high personal risk. She told one of her sponsors, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, at a "Courage to Learn" seminar (in Ontario, Canada, October 2008) that one day whilst she was showing Afghan teachers (male and female) in Khost province how to teach the use of microscopes and magnifying glasses, the U.S. Army told her that she was in the firing line for "enemy" bombers and had to be airlifted to safety. She said, "If I have just two hours left in my life, I want to spend it teaching". [2]

The following year, O'Grady personally took (via the non-profit School is Open that she began) a donation of 300 knitted items from the charity "Afghans for Afghans" and her San Francisco Friends School to a rural Afghan school for returning refugees, near the city of Jalalabad. It had ten rooms, with bathrooms and a well, teaching boys and girls in separate half-day sessions. She reported to donors that members of both groups said they wanted to be "teachers, engineers or doctors". [3]

Role with international charities

In 2015, O'Grady reported on comparing child development opportunities in schools in Faryab, Saripol, Kandahar and Kabul provinces of Afghanistan with Save the Children. [4]

In 2016, she was one of the named authors of Save the Children's overall report on developing the direct assessment of child development on motor function, language and early literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional development. The tool is suitable for children aged 3–6, and was tested in 45 countries for international use. It helps identify teaching opportunities and gaps in developmental progress: International Development and Early Learning Assessment. The report is IDELA: Fostering Common Solutions for Young Children. [5] In 2018, she presented further on the experience of using the IDELA model in China and India in an international webinar. [6]

By 2020, O'Grady was deputy country director for Care International in Afghanistan, reporting on statistics regarding the challenges of conflict, drought and the Covid-19 affecting women and families. [7] She said that the "triple crisis of the economic hardship created by the pandemic, the drought and the current insecurity leaves women in an incredibly difficult situation. Hard-won gains by women and girls are being rolled back." A USAID funded map of the drought areas was shared and updated in July 2021. [8]

She spoke at a virtual donor's conference, also in 2020, after which an appeal was made about targeting international investments for improving gender equality. [9] Statistics had identified evidence of the relatively poor position of the country on most measures of equality, women's personal safety and lack of basic rights. O'Grady emphasized the need for women to be involved in peace-building, saying,

"Women are also the central caretakers of families and everyone is affected when they are excluded from peace-building. Women are advocates for peace, as peacekeepers, relief workers and mediators. Women have already been shown to play prominent roles in peace processes in the Horn of Africa such as in Sudan and Burundi, where they have contributed as observers. They could be a real asset to Afghanistan's peace process if allowed to do so." [10]

In August 2021, the US forces were withdrawing and the Taliban were pushing across the country, until the fall of Kabul, then taking over from the elected government. O'Grady updated CARE's analysis, which she stated showed that Afghanistan is among the most challenging humanitarian crises in the world, with a population, including women, the least able to respond effectively. [11] She asked for support from donors and the new regime to ensure that humanitarian organisations could support the most vulnerable people in safety in the current situation.

O'Grady recognized the fears that Afghan women have regarding their position in a new Taliban regime, but her hope was that the experience of 25 years prior, when women and girls were prevented from education, would not be entirely repeated. She was widely reported internationally (from an Associated Press interview) as being convinced that "you cannot un-educate millions of people" and that if women did go "back behind walls", they could still educate "neighbours, cousins and their own children". [1] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] Reports of various examples of men's behaviour towards educated women since the Taliban takeover (and before) may threaten O'Grady's hopes. [18]

O'Grady remains in post with Sam Mort of UNICEF Afghanistan. [19] She recognizes that "now is a time for the humanitarian sector to be here and to serve", [20] and the humanitarian needs of 18 million people there, especially "displaced" women and girls, "have never been greater". [21]

See also

External sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taliban</span> Militant organization in control of Afghanistan

The Taliban, which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is an Afghan militant movement with an ideology comprising elements of Pashtun nationalism and the Deobandi movement of Islamic fundamentalism. It ruled approximately 75% of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, before it was overthrown by an American invasion. It recaptured Kabul in August 2021 following the departure of coalition forces, after 20 years of Taliban insurgency, and now controls the entire country. The Taliban government is not recognized by any country and has been internationally condemned for restricting human rights, including women's rights to work and have an education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treatment of women by the Taliban</span> Gender policies, punishments of the Taliban

The treatment of women by the Taliban refers to actions and policies by two distinct Taliban regimes in Afghanistan which are either specific or highly commented upon, mostly due to discrimination, since they first took control in 1996. During their first rule of Afghanistan, the Taliban were notorious internationally for their misogyny and violence against women. In 1996, women were mandated to wear the burqa at all times in public. In a systematic segregation sometimes referred to as gender apartheid, women were not allowed to work, nor were they allowed to be educated after the age of eight. Women seeking an education were forced to attend underground schools, where they and their teachers risked execution if caught. They were not allowed to be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male chaperone, which led to illnesses remaining untreated. They faced public flogging and execution for violations of the Taliban's laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habiba Sarābi</span> Afghan Hazara politician (born 1956)

Dr. Habiba Sarābi is a hematologist, politician, and reformer of the reconstruction of Afghanistan after the Taliban first took power. In 2005, she was appointed as Governor of Bamyan Province - the first Afghan woman to become a provincial governor. She had served as Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs and as Minister of Culture and Education. Sarabi was instrumental in promoting women's rights and representation and environmental issues. She belongs to the ethnic Hazara people of Afghanistan. Her last name is sometimes spelled Sarobi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan refugees</span> Nationals of Afghanistan who left their country as a result of major wars or persecution

Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were forced to flee from their country as a result the continuous wars that the country has suffered since the Afghan-Soviet war, the Afghan civil war, the Afghanistan war (2001–2021) or either political or religious persecution. The 1978 Saur Revolution, followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion, marked the first major wave of internal displacement and international migration to neighboring Iran and Pakistan; smaller numbers also went to India or to countries of the former Soviet Union. Between 1979 and 1992, more than 20% of Afghanistan's population fled the country as refugees. Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, many returned to Afghanistan, however many Afghans were again forced to flee during the civil war in the 90s. Over 6 million Afghan refugees were residing in Iran and Pakistan by 2000. Most refugees returned to Afghanistan following the 2001 United States invasion and overthrow of the Taliban regime. Between 2002 and 2012, 5.7 million refugees returned to Afghanistan, increasing the country's population by 25%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in Afghanistan</span>

The Catholic Church in Afghanistan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Prior to August 2021, there were very few Catholics in this overwhelmingly Muslim country—just over 200 attend Mass in its only chapel—and freedom of religion has been difficult to obtain in recent times, especially under the new Taliban-led Afghan government.

The following lists events that happened during 2000 in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Afghanistan</span>

Education in Afghanistan includes K–12 and higher education, which is under the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education. In 2021, there were nearly 10 million students and 220,000 teachers in Afghanistan. The nation still requires more schools and teachers. Soon after the Taliban take took the country in August 2021, they banned girls from secondary education. Some provinces still allow secondary education for girls despite the ban. In December 2022, the Taliban government also prohibited university education for females in Afghanistan, sparking protests and international condemnation. In December 2023, investigations were being held by the United Nations into the claim that Afghan girls of all ages were allowed to study at religious schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Afghanistan</span>

Women's rights in Afghanistan have varied greatly depending on the time period as well as the regime in power. After King Amanullah Khan's attempts to modernize the country in the 1920s, women officially gained equality under the 1964 Constitution. However, these rights were taken away in the 1990s through different temporary rulers such as the mujahideen and the Taliban during the Afghan civil war. During the first Taliban regime (1996–2001), women had very little to no freedom, specifically in terms of civil liberties. When the Taliban was overthrown by the United States following the September 11 attacks, women's rights gradually improved under the presidential Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Women were de jure equal to men under the 2004 Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zabihullah Mujahid</span> Deputy Information Minister of Afghanistan since 2021

Zabihullah Mujahid is an Afghan militant spokesperson who has been the chief spokesman for the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 25 October 2021 and their Deputy Minister of Information and Culture since 7 September 2021. He has long served as one of several spokesmen for the Taliban, the others being Suhail Shaheen and Yousef Ahmadi. Mujahid commented mainly on the Taliban's activities in eastern, northern, and central Afghanistan, while Ahmadi focused on the western and southern regions. In addition to being the government's main spokesman, Mujahid serves as a personal spokesman for Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Taliban</span>

The Taliban, which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is an Afghan militant movement, that governs Afghanistan, with an ideology comprising elements of Pashtun nationalism and the Deobandi movement of Islamic fundamentalism.

Events in the year 2018 in Afghanistan.

Events from the year 2019 in Afghanistan.

A series of flash floods occurred in Afghanistan beginning in June 2020, with the largest and most impactful flood occurring on 26 August 2020. They were caused by torrential rain in Charikar, Parwan Province. The August floods killed at least 179 people and injured 212 others, and destroyed hundreds of houses. The Ministry of Disaster Management has also reported some casualties and destruction of infrastructure in the provinces of Kapisa, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, Panjshir, and Paktia.

Sam Mort is currently Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Civic Engagement for the UNICEF office in Afghanistan, based in Kabul.Afghanistan is in the midst of a Taliban offensive, where the insurgents have now taken over from the elected government. She previously announced that Unicef had made a historic deal to have girls educated in the Taliban-controlled areas of the country in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall of Kabul (2021)</span> Taliban capture of the capital of Afghanistan

On 15 August 2021, Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. It was the final action of the War in Afghanistan, and marked a total victory for the Taliban. This led to the overthrowing of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan under President Ashraf Ghani and the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.

Rukhshana Media is an Afghan women's media organisation created in November 2020 in memory of Rukhshana, a young woman stoned to death in 2015 in Ghor Province for having fled with a lover after a forced marriage.

Protests in Afghanistan against the Taliban started on 17 August 2021 following the Fall of Kabul to the Taliban. These protests are held by Islamic democrats and feminists. Both groups are against the treatment of women by the Taliban government, considering it as discriminatory and misogynistic. Supported by the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, the protesters also demand decentralization, multiculturalism, social justice, work, education, and food. There have been pro-Taliban counterprotests.

On 15 August 2021, the city of Kabul, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, was captured by Taliban forces during the 2021 Taliban offensive, concluding the War in Afghanistan that began in 2001. The fall of Kabul provoked a range of reactions across the globe, including debates on whether to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, on the humanitarian situation in the country, on the outcome of the War, and the role of military interventionism in world affairs.

Fatima Gailani is an Afghan political leader and women's rights activist, who previously served as president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2021.

The war in Afghanistan ended with the Taliban victorious when the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. The aftermath has been characterized by marked change in the social and political order of Afghanistan as Taliban took over the country once again after the fall of Kabul in 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 Stanton, Andrew (2021-08-16). "American female reporter wears hijab as Taliban gains more ground in Afghanistan". Newsweek. On 8/16/21 at 10:37 AM EDT. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  2. 1 2 3 Courage to Learn: Education for Afghan Women and Girls - Session: From the Field - Marianne O'Grady. Canada: Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. 2009. p. 16.
  3. ↑ "Wool Gifts Delivered December 2009 by Marianne O'Grady". www.afghansforafghans.org. 2009. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  4. ↑ Pisani, Lauren; O'Grady, Marianne (3 November 2015). "Afghanistan ECCD Study 2015". IDELA. Save the Children. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  5. ↑ D'Sa, Nickhit; Dowd, Amy Jo; Pisani, Lauren; Perez, Renee; O'Grady, Marianne; Poehlman, Sara (2017). "IDELA: Fostering Common Solutions for Young Children" (PDF). Save the Children Resource Centre. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  6. ↑ "Webinar: Translation and Adaptation of IDELA". IDELA. New York University and Save the Children. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  7. ↑ "Afghanistan: Humanitarian needs worsening due to conflict, drought and COVID-19 | CARE". www.careinternational.org.uk. 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  8. ↑ "Afghanistan Drought RGA July 2021". Relief Web. CARE. July 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "New CARE research shows women disproportionately affected by the drought in Afghanistan | Care International". www.care-international.org. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  10. ↑ "Women's voices need to be heard; less than a quarter of those involved in Afghanistan's peace negotiations are women, notes CARE - Afghanistan". ReliefWeb. Care International. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  11. ↑ "CARE deeply concerned for women and other vulnerable groups in Afghanistan as the triple nexus intensifies - Afghanistan". ReliefWeb. CARE Internationsl. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  12. ↑ Brewis, Harriet (2021-08-17). "Poignant photo 'shows female pupils bidding farewell to teachers' in Afghanistan". www.indy100.com. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  13. ↑ vogl, ORF at (2021-08-17). "Taliban-Herrschaft: Ein Alptraum für Frauen". news.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  14. ↑ Hayden, Jade (14 August 2021). "Afghan girl says "no one cares about us" in heartbreaking viral clip". Her.ie. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  15. ↑ Gateway, Salaam (14 August 2021). "Afghan women, girls fear return to 'dark days' as Taliban push closer to Kabul". Salaam Gateway - Global Islamic Economy Gateway. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  16. ↑ Roy, Sandip (2021-08-20). "The rocket flowers have withered". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  17. ↑ In the video of this, O'Grady's statement starts at 3m45s. "Afghan women fear Taliban-dominated future". AP Archive. 13 August 2021. 3m 45s. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  18. ↑ "In-Depth | Can Afghan Women Trust Assurances Of Taliban That Have A Chilling Track Record?". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  19. ↑ "Taliban asks UNICEF to pause work, but stay in Afghanistan". ABC Radio National. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  20. ↑ Gold, Shabtai (16 August 2021). "Aid groups shift to emergency response as US leaves Afghanistan". Devex. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "Afghanistan: the humanitarian needs have never been greater | Care International". www.care-international.org. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.