Over three million girls, once enrolled in schools, have been denied their right to education since the Taliban takeover, and their future in Afghanistan seems bleak, according to a report.
The ban on the education of Afghan girls and women has resulted in a surge in the risk of early marriage, violence, and abuse in the country, according to TOLO News, which cited the report by Save the Children, a humanitarian organization. Female students in Afghanistan have repeatedly raised concerns over the education ban and have now called on the Taliban to reopen the schools for girls as schools return on 21 March.
The Acting Country Director for Afghanistan of Save the Children, Olivier Franchi, said in a recent statement, “Afghanistan is the only country in the world that has banned girls above sixth grade from education, yet girls here are striving for a better future, and they know the best path to success is through school,” TOLO News stated, citing the report.
The people of Kabul also demanded that the Islamic Emirate reopen the schools for girls. “We hope that the Islamic Emirate based on Islamic religion will allow both girls and boys to study,” Zalmai, a resident of Kabul, said.
Several students also called on the Taliban to open schools for girls as soon as possible. “All girls in the nation want the doors of the schools to be reopened as only one week remains until the school year starts,” said a student, Nageena, the Afghan news agency reported.
Many Islamic countries and organizations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have condemned the ban on women’s and girls’ access to work and education as a violation of Islamic law.
Since 15 August, 2021, the de facto authorities have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women’s and girls’ freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce, and banned women from using parks, gyms, and public bath-houses.