Written by Mahboba Mahmoodi (Edited by Jenna Fung)
Afghanistan at the heart of central Asia was the strategic meeting point for ancient trade routes, the silk road. After experiencing decades of war and destruction, Afghans are dedicated to growing by learning and reconstructing their country. With the advancement of telecommunications and the emergence of internet services in 2002, Afghan communities started to empower themselves in different areas of technology, education, entertainment, and communication. For the last two decades, the government of Afghanistan has recognized the internet as a crucial source of growth and development for the country, believing that ICT (Information Communication Technology) can create opportunities and awareness for disadvantaged groups and improve the access of the rural to markets.
Afghanistan had over 7 million internet users throughout 34 provinces in 2020 and the World Bank estimates that 13.5% of Afghans currently have access to the internet. There are millions of youths without proper access to internet services in the rural areas of the country. Among them, girls make up a significant number. Despite all inequalities and lack of equipment, an all-female robotics team was formed in 2017. With help from New York-based nonprofit Digital Citizen Fund, they flourished on an international level and changed the mentality of the Afghan society regarding women in tech. They have developed multiple robots and won international competitions, which reveal the fact about what youth can achieve if the proper support and facilities are at their disposal. ICT (Information Communication Technology) can be used to empower youth through awareness to overcome different obstacles in education and employment and to connect them to a world beyond their boundaries.
In recent years, Afghanistan’s IT and other basic infrastructure have been under frequent attacks. These destructions include electricity cut, blowing up fiber optic devices, system equipment and multiple telecom antennas. After the Taliban took power in August 2021, the media and other channels of communication have been continuously monitored by this group which has raised concerns over the safety of telecom investments, limitation of internet services, and human rights (offline and online). Afghan people fear more censorship and surveillance as well as internet shutdown since it happened in the Panjshir and Kabul provinces recently. SensorTower, a site that tracks the top downloads from the Google Play store (since many people in Afghanistan use Android phones), shows that many internet security applications like virtual private networks (VPNs) are gaining users and many people are switching to securely encrypted messaging applications like Signal and Telegram. Also, there are many complaints about the high priced, but low-quality internet services. According to customers, the cost of the internet
services have increased to ten times more expensive than the regional countries.
Youths in Afghanistan have the right to access the internet which is their major tool to connect for awareness especially when unbiased information is needed and this right for the Afghan people must be preserved. They solely hope for lasting peace and freedom, where they can connect, communicate, and exchange their thoughts with the world.
References:
- Afghan Girls Robotic Team. (n.d.). Afghan Girls Robotic Team. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/profile/afghan-girls-robotic-team/?sh=347fff67354b.
- Kumar, R. (July 15, 2021). Taliban targeting Afghanistan’s crucial power, IT infrastructure. AL JAZEERA. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/taliban-afghanistan-it-electricity-power.
- McKay, H. (August 21, 2021). Taliban Return To Power Sees Local Media Huddle In Fear & Self-Censorship – Special Report From Afghanistan. Deadline. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2021/08/taliban-afghanistan-media-censorship-fear-us-
withdrawal-1234818263/. - Hakimi, A. (October 20, 2021). Afghans Complain of High Priced, Low Quality Internet. Tolo News. Retrieved from https://tolonews.com/business-175098.
- Wikipedia. (n.d.). Internet in Afghanistan. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Afghanistan.
Other links:
- https://thewire.in/rights/what-happens-to-afghans-right-to-internet-under-the-
taliban - https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/taliban-afghanistan-media-/31394691.html