As the third anniversary of the ban on girls above sixth grade approaches, Human Rights Watch (HRW) states that the international community has failed to take meaningful action to lift Afghanistan’s restrictions on girls’ education.
The organization has urged the global community to apply more pressure on the Taliban to lift the ban on girls’ education.
On September 17, 2021, a month after the Taliban took power, the Ministry of Education announced the reopening of schools, but only for boys and male teachers.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesperson, said the closure of schools for girls above sixth grade was “temporary” and would end once conditions were suitable.
However, nearly 1,096 days have passed, and girls above sixth grade have yet to return to school.
HRW stated on September 17 that the Taliban, as during their first regime, are now depriving girls of education, wasting crucial years of their growth and development, with lifelong and intergenerational consequences for those affected.
Despite widespread global debates on the ban, HRW emphasized that governments and international institutions still need to take significant steps to lift the restrictions on girls’ education.
HRW has called on the Taliban to provide safe and quality education for all girls. The organization also urged donor countries to support communities advocating for girls’ right to education and fund online and underground education programs led by women.
As the world watches, meaningful global action is crucial to ensure Afghan girls do not lose their future to this prolonged ban, and support for alternative education must grow more robust.
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