Gender Mainstreaming in Textbooks Discourse via the Metaphorical Account of Malalai of Maiwand, Afghanistan

Abstract

History textbooks are powerful tools through which national history is transferred to the next generations. While we found some studies on Afghanistan that have examined textbook discourse with special reference to stereotypical gender roles, none have scrutinized the heroism of Malalai of Maiwand. Our literature search from primary to advanced levels originates Malalai as a legend of Afghan pride, bravery and inspiration. Afghan historians not only acknowledge her as their national folk heroine but also celebrate by singing her famous Pukhtu tappi/landai, a Pukhtu ode which is comprised of two stanzas and which is a unique feminine literary genre of Pukhtu poetry. This study investigates how textbooks depict and historicize the frequently taught historical character of Malalai and the Anglo-Afghan War of 1880. The study dealt with a more general lexical and visual content analysis of data. Our study revealed Malalai’s personality as a role model for Afghan children, especially for girls, because of her patriotism, courageous actions, and leadership skills. The analyzed textbooks constructed similar high profile historical accounts about Malalai, in which the women-centered voices are echoed profoundly. However, the study recommends more gender specific topics and methodologies, as Malalai is just one example now for a step forward towards gender mainstreaming and empowerment in Afghan society.