KABUL - First Lady Rula Ghani on Sunday officially inaugurated the first women's educational complex in Kabul in an effort to help Afghan female students pursue education in a number of key fields including medical science, computer technology and management.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Rula Ghani said that the establishment of the complex, which includes a college and university, will help boost women's educational capabilities and help female students who are not able to join co-educational institutions.
Moora is the first all-girls educational and training complex in the country.
"The establishment of Moora at this juncture is a key step to facilitate those female students who because of certain problems are not allowed by their families to continue their education at other institutions," Rula Ghani said.
"It is a unique institution for females where they will be taught different fields. The institution also has a female hostel which has been established to facilitate students coming from other provinces and it has the capacity of providing shelter to 960 students. We are also planning the establishment of a specialized training center for cancer and other fields," chairman of the center, Moora Azizi Amiri said.
The development comes at a time when many families in Afghanistan still oppose the education of their daughters at co-education institutions.
"This is a step forward to address the years of deprivation of the women in the country, establishment of the institution is a key step to ensure the development and progress of women," Minister of Education Assadullah Hanif said.
Currently there are about 36 state-run universities along with 126 private educational institutions in the country – all of which are co-educational. (Tolonews)