On April 28th, during the ESTMUN2023 formal session the committee held the debates on
‘How to get more girls to attend school?’ In the topic “Education Rights in Refugee Camps for
Women and Girls”. Seems an innocent question right? Well in only 5 minutes the room got reallyy hot!
Turkey first started the debate with an argument that in middle east, their religion prohibits women to get education. It orders them to stay at home, do chores and raise kids, meaning that religion is the main obstacle that keeps young women away from education. The delegates got really mad about this statement and the beef began.
All delegates tried to prove this statement wrong by telling that religion is a persons personal choice and by prohibiting (or altering) it we violate human rights.
Pakistan came up with an argument that every religion have stigmas, but it isn’t a problem with
education in many religious countries. So there must be different problems why girls aren’t attending to schools, like infrastructural, economical and cultural reasons.
“School should be separated from religion”
-says delegate from Turkey
Turkey further explains that they don’t have any problems with infrastructure or economics so
the only reason separating girls from education is religious beliefs. No one managed to change
Turkey’s opinion about religion and the debate was closed without any compromise.
Which side are you on? Turkey’s or the rest of the delegates?
Greta from Buzzfeed News