Female teachers alarmed by salary delays and cuts

KABUL (TOLOnews): Several female teachers in the capital have voiced their concerns regarding delays and reductions in their salaries by the Ministry of Education.

These educators call on the Islamic Emirate to reconsider the decision to cut their pay.

The concerns were sparked by a letter, purportedly signed by the acting Minister of Education, circulating in the media. The letter requested the Ministry of Finance to halt the payment of female teachers’ salaries until a decision to reduce their pay to 5,000 afghani is finalized.

However, the Islamic Emirate has yet to confirm the authenticity of this letter.

Razia, who has dedicated over 18 years to serving in the education sector and supports a family of seven, told TOLOnews that she used to spend more than 5,000 of her 9,000 Afghani salary on rent and utility bills, and now she is extremely worried.

“Our request to the Islamic Emirate government is not to reduce the salaries of teachers who are currently working and doctors who are working in hospitals. In these past two or three years, we have managed to stand on our own feet. If our salaries are reduced further, it will cause us significant problems,” she added.

Other female teachers have also expressed concerns about the reduction and suspension of their salaries by the interim government, saying they are currently facing serious economic challenges.

Jamila, another female teacher, said: “Our request to the Islamic Emirate is that despite all the difficulties, we have continued to work and serve the nation’s children. We have managed to live with the salaries we received, despite many challenges. Our request is that if our salaries cannot be increased, at least they should not be reduced.”

Tahira, another teacher, said: “I hope the news is not true, and that they change their decision. We should remain with our previous salaries. If they can increase our benefits, that would be great, but they should not reduce them.”

Although the presence of female employees in some government departments has been banned since the Islamic Emirate regained power in Afghanistan, their salaries are still being paid by the government.