Exploring the Impact of lack of Wash facilities on Girls' Education and Health in Higher Secondary Schools in Afghanistan

Abstract

This study explores how the lack of WASH facilities affects girls’s education and health in higher secondary schools in Afghanistan. The main object of this study is to explore the impact of WASH absence on girls' academic performance, attendance, dropout rates, and various diseases related to WASH. A mixed research method was applied to gather, analyze, and interpret survey data from 97 students and teachers in 49 schools in different provinces of Afghanistan. Numerous participants stated that WASH services significantly impacted their educational achievement and health. They further said that a lack of WASH facilities not only affects their academic performance but also their motivation to study and concentration in the class. The study findings also show that inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services affect girls' health in terms of diseases related to poor sanitation, hygiene, and unsafe drinking water. The participants shared their concerns regarding the impact of a lack of WASH facilities on girls' health and said that improper toilets, a lack of handwashing facilities, and sanitation products also harm their health by causing various illnesses. Despite the many challenges girls encounter while attending their classes, they never give up their education. However, there are several obstacles, such as a lack of drinking water, toilets with running tap water, and the non availability of sanitary pads and rest places for girls with periods in school during their menstrual cycles, which obliges them to miss their classes and become sick. Hence, further research is needed to address the other factors influencing girls educational outcomes and health in school in Afghanistan with long-term solutions. Overall, policymakers, educators, researchers, and stakeholders must carry out more studies and add WASH to the curriculum to ensure that all girls in Afghanistan receive a quality and inclusive education with proper WASH facilities.