Rautahat Muslims breaking barriers to girls’ education

Around 400 girls from the Muslim community are studying in Jamiya Khadijatul Kubra School

Rautahat, November 8

Breaking with tradition, the Muslim community in Rautahat district have started sending their daughters, who were earlier confined to household chores, to school.

Haji Jikur, a local Muslim leader, said they’d realised the value of education for women. “Our sons and daughters should be equally educated. Everyone must avoid following irrational traditional beliefs that deprive their daughters of education,” he added.

Many Muslim girls from Bara, Parsa, Mahottari and Sarlahi districts are studying in Jamiya Khadijatul Kubra School at Rajpur Pharhadawa VDC of Rautahat for the past five years. Muslim girls from many places of India also study in the school free of cost.

School principal Kari Sahubuddhin said around 400 girls were studying at the school, while 150 girls were residing in the school hostel. He informed Urdu was the major subject while Nepali and other subjects were optional at the school.

He added that the school was being operated with the amount collected from the local community and youths working abroad.

“If the government helps us, we would be able to provide education to hundreds of other Muslims girls,” he said.

Shekh Bakil, a guardian, said the Muslim community felt more comfortable sending their daughters to the Jamiya Khadijatul Kubra School as it is the only one school in Rajpur Pharhadawa that has hostel for girl students.

He added that guardians were also motivated to send their daughters to school as the school had girls-friendly environment.