Practitioners' perspectives on the role of religion in education for Afghan refugee girls

• In Event: Practitioner Panel: Notes from the Field

Proposal

This comparative case study assesses how NGO and IGO practitioners’ perceptions of the role of religion in refugee education impact the design and implementation of educational programs for Afghan girls in refugee camps. There is little research on the impact of religion on refugee education and the effects of religion on refugee girls’ development. Ten practitioners, or professionals who work in educational development as teachers, designers, managers, etc., were interviewed about their work in refugee camps with Afghan students. Using the Gender and Development theory, the study analyzes how decisions about the role of religion in girls’ education for Afghan refugees contribute to challenging or mitigating gender-based obstacles to facilitating access to education. The theoretical framework builds on Gender and Development theory, which challenges male-dominated social structures by extending it to refugee education. The framework also questions to what extent religion should be incorporated in education and how it can be used to benefit girls by contesting inhibitive norms reproduced in schools.

The significance of this research is grounded in the intersection of gender norms, religion, education, and the refugee camp setting. As the Afghan refugee crisis continues, refugee girls struggle to find opportunities for quality education in emergency situations. This research aims to fill a gap in research on reasons behind refugee curricula and education systems design that may be influenced by cultural interpretations of Islam. The refugee camp setting is unique in that it is a safer, more stable setting in which Afghan girls, who may not have had access to school in their home country due to religious, political, economic, or other reasons, can benefit from educational programming. Additionally, the influx of practitioners and refugees from so many different cultural contexts creates a space for integrated, multilateral dialogue.

This research was conducted in the style of a comparative case study of development practitioners’ approaches to the intersection of religion and education using semi-structured in-person, phone, and Skype interviews in conjunction with a document analysis of NGO policies, curricula, procedures, and reports. Primarily, these interviews were meant to show trends and best practices in providing religion-sensitive educational programming for Afghan refugee girls in camps. Secondarily, this research was meant to highlight how these practices can contribute to girls’ development and challenging of patriarchal norms in education for Afghan refugees.

Considering the strongest overlaps and agreements in all ten interviews, the study shows that religion does play an important role in Afghan girls’ refugee education. Taking into account the role of religion, practitioners are consciously trying to minimize patriarchal norms and gender-based discrepancies in education that have disadvantaged Afghan refugee girls in their home country and in camps.

The study finds that the best practices and trends on approaching religion in refugee education and gender norms are twofold: 1. Recognition of the communities’ religion, culture, traditions, and other values is essential for providing respectful education in a safe, comfortable environment for the refugee girl students. 2. From these ten interviews, we can see that practitioners’ awareness of Afghan religion and culture can help mitigate gender-based discrepancies and patriarchal norms in education through educational programming that supports girls’ educational ambitions. This is also due to the external location of a refugee camp, where girls are less likely to be under the pressure of religious extremism or conservative norms that prevent girls’ access to education in Afghanistan.

In conclusion, understanding religious influences on gender-based discrepancies in refugee girls’ education can help alleviate harmful patterns. Their double disadvantage as both females and refugees creates a difficult circumstance for them to overcome. We must keep in mind that religion does not necessarily link with patriarchal norms, but it may exacerbate them. By supporting girls in class and developing positive relationships with their religious and tribal leaders and communities, education practitioners are lessening the impact of patriarchal norms and gender expectations that inhibit Afghan refugee girls from obtaining the best possible education while living in camps.

Author

• Desiree Tierney Halpern, Teachers College, Columbia University