![[Afghanistan] Despite vivid security threats against women education, increasing number of women are referring to literacy course in the southeastern city of Ghazn.](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20036173.jpg.webp?itok=pABK4hlx "Qadi Gul - literacy courses changing the lives of women.")
Qadi Gul's story
"My name is Qadi Gul. I am forty years old and a mother of ten, four sons and six daughters. I live in Ghazni city in central Afghanistan. Every one of my children is illiterate, so is my husband. One day at a wedding, I met the head of women's affairs department who told me they had a literacy course and encouraged me to attend.
"I did not believe I would ever learn anything because I am so old. But in ten days, I learned how to count up to 100 and can write the name of my country 'Afghanistan'. There are 200 of us women studying literacy and some vocational training in Ghazni Women's Affairs department. At first, my husband did not let me go to the literacy course, because he thought a 40-year-old person was too old to learn. But I have found that many women are interested to join our class after they saw me write and count. Even though it is too dangerous for my daughters to attend the course as it is too far from home, there would be many girls like my daughters who would attend such courses if they were in the villages and near community residential areas".
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
