Afghan women and girls struggle in their pursuit of education, especially at the tertiary level in Afghanistan. Many families cannot afford to cover higher education costs for their children and preference is normally given to the education of sons, who are expected to later become breadwinners for the family.

However, many young Afghan women continue to dream of pursuing higher education. USAID’s Promote Women Scholarship program, implemented by The Asia Foundation (TAF), supports eligible and deserving young women with academic potential from economically disadvantaged families from all corners of the country to gain confidence in their educational pursuits at national universities. The program provides financial assistance for young women to complete a four-year Bachelor’s degree program at a private university.

USAID awarded 720 scholarships to young women from nearly all 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Ms. Asma Rahimi did not have the financial resources to attend university, but with support from USAID, she is pursuing a law degree.

“Becoming an attorney was my lifelong goal. I lost hope when I learned that my family couldn’t afford to support my higher education. But through the Promote Women Scholarship program, my dream is becoming true,” says Ms. Asma.

Ms. Rahimi is now completing her third semester in the Law and Political Science Department at Mirwais Neeka University in Kandahar. She enjoys her studies and hopes to become an attorney once she graduates so that she can play a key role in Afghanistan’s development. Ms. Rahimi is very grateful for the support of USAID and TAF in helping realize her lifelong dream.

“I never imagined that I would be able to attend university. My family is very grateful and encouraged by my university studies. After my graduation from university, I will be able to find a job and support myself and my family.” Said Ms. Asma.