Siyasari*- Written by Nader Musavi- 05 Oct 2018

Two days ago, Mustafa came with his mother to register. I was talking to her mother when she said: “I have a daughter who is home and we can not send her to school. We can only let my son study.”
“How old is your daughter?” I asked.
“Seven” she said.
Mustafa was next to me, painting. I turned to him and said: Mustafa! Did you come to study yourself and let your sister stay at home? Aren’t you her brother? Did you want to leave your sister at home and come alone?
He said nothing and bent his head lower on his paper.
“Go and get your daughter here, today. If you do not get her here, we will not register Mustafa either.” I said to his mother.
I also asked Mustafa not to accept to come to school until they would send his sister. He smiled and said okay.
They both came yesterday. Her sister’s name is Razma. A Cute and smart girl. She had just been vaccinated on her right arm, she was a little sick. She got registered and drew a beautiful painting.
“Now you are a good brother. You should always have your sister’s back.”I said to Mustafa. He laughed and said nothing. Razma was happy too.
Unfortunately, I have seen many times over the years that families do not send their daughters to school due to poverty or other reasons. Sometimes because they can’t afford the expenses and sometimes because they believe this painful reason that the girl has to get married and she belongs to her husband, she’s not worth expending money Or a girl doesn’t need to be educated. (I’ve heard this sentence many times.) I have entrusted the person in charge of registration to be careful and ask them if they have a girl at home, she will also be registered. This is the second family this year who did not want to register their daughter at school.

*P. S: Siyasar (Dari) made up of Siya which means black, and Sar which means head, in the other word ‘black-headed’. These terms are used across Afghanistan to address any woman in public.