Militarization
Military camps are frequently found around school buildings or inside these buildings and campuses, and this militarization is occurring on both sides of Kashmir's disputed boundaries (AJK&IOK). The militarization of these places can have a detrimental psychological effect on kids, which can increase dropout rates. This is the case in the Indian-occupied Kashmir valley, where many kids are afraid to go to school because of the military camps nearby.
According to a 2013 study by the Working Group on Peace, Conflict, and Education at Colombia University, 79 percent of the military bases were located within one kilometer or less of the schools that were being looked at. Even some of these schools had borders that met those of the camps. Due to the proximity of the camps that were likely to be the target of explosive devices and the military forces there, it was stated that the students in these schools felt frightened and afraid. The kids are aware that they are more vulnerable to shelling because of this proximity.
Impact on girls
The explosive violence in the region has also had additional impacts on girls, which has had a negative effect on the efforts of both countries to improve access to education for females. India launched the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) program in 2004 with the goal of establishing residential schools for females in all areas with a low female literacy rate.
The national government also made the decision to provide cash incentives and scholarships for girls born into low-income homes. The Malala Education Fund was established in 2013 to support girls' education with assistance from the AJK Department of Education and UNESCO in Pakistan's AJK, which lies across the valley. The money will build boundary walls for vulnerable schools and give lunch and stationery to female elementary school students.
Despite recent initiatives by India and Pakistan to support girls' education, the conflict in Kashmir has made the gap between boys' and girls' educational attainment even more pronounced. When schools are in regions where there has been shelling, many parents perceive an increased risk for their girls. In urban regions, 296,535 females were enrolled in school from 2013–2014. In 2015–16, this number dropped to 96,896 females, representing a 67 percent decline in the number of girls enrolled in school.
Girls are more at risk of sexual violence, abuse, and other types of harassment because of the proximity of military camps and the presence of army personnel. As a result of girls trying to escape this, dropout rates for females in these institutions continue to grow.
Recommendation:
All children need to feel secure at school and have access to a safe education, but girls who live in violent places of the world need it the most. In addition to teaching, schools in these communities should offer normality, stability, and safety to girls, enabling them to better deal with the broader harm that the area experiences.
This is a very alarming problem, especially in the context of Kashmir. Though this might not be too strongly relevant to this particular example, I did want to nonetheless bring up the notion of "double oppression" which I recently studied. Women, and especially young girls have always been at the risk of double-oppression. By stripping them of their right to education, they lose out on an important means to develop in their lives, but at the same time, inherent patriarchial institution of the family actually breeds the other oppression, when they are forcefully married off at a young age, or considered a burden by their families because of all the patriarchal norms. While the case could be made the same…
I was referring to an article by Izzat Razia and I came to know that women are often viewed as victims of conflict because they suffer in a distinct way. They are affected disproportionately than men. The worst form against women and girls is physical and sexual violence and military prostitution. Women are casualties as well. Moreover, their multiple roles in war are ignored by undervaluing them as victims and not as active participants. The conflict affects the traditional gender roles. They are the victims of direct and indirect violence. Moreover, despite suffering and sacrificing for more than seven decades, no emancipation is visible in near future. Women and girls face the issues of gender based violence in conflict and post conflict…
Thank you for highlighting this issue Umar, I wonder why governments allow military camps to be set up near schools? When the increased violence against children, drop out rates and the imapact on the general well being of students is expected, The decision impacts an entire segment of the population's growth and learning. Perhaps the Safe Schools Declaration needs to be signed worldwide as an urgent need to protect children's schooling from military use, and being targeted during conflicts
You have shed light on a concerning issue in context of Pakistani schools. The military use of schools is a topic which not addressed. I have recently came across how educational institutes become military camps where these soldiers train and store ammunition. The group most affected by this is the children in conflict zones whom are unable to attain education due to their Avenue of seeking knowledge is being actively taken away from them.
Most importantly, the psychological impact these children go through is mostly permanent. These traumatic experiences is something which impacts the younger generations world view. The sad reality is the oppression the girls have to face in terms of sexual abuse and how it leads them to…
A very important issue! I think it is very ironic how these military bases are set up for the purpose of providing "safety" yet they end up being the source of much violence and cruelty in these areas. It is horrible how the assault and harassment that women of all ages have to endure at the hands of the men of these militarised bases is normalised. We hand over so much power to those who have guns and shut any voices who speak out against them. I think parents especially should speak out against these bases placed near peaceful institutions like schools.