Denied education, over 3 million Afghan girls face bleak future: Report

Kabul [Afghanistan], March 17 (ANI): 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 and called on the Taliban to reopen the schools for girls as schools return on March 21
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,” TOLOnews 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,” said Zalmai, a resident of Kabul said, according to TOLOnews.

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 education year starts,” said a student, Nageena, the Afghan news agency reported.

Many Islamic countries and organisations, 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 August 15, 2021, the de facto authorities have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls’ freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses. (ANI)

Taliban’s policies on women affecting Afghanistan’s international relations: Former minister

Kabul [Afghanistan], March 17 (ANI): Taliban‘s policy on women’s education and work will impact negatively Afghanistan‘s relations with the international community, former Minister of Finance, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said, TOLOnews reported. In an interview with TOLOnews, the former Minister of Finance said that the constitution and the people’s support are important for governance. “There were policies that made the space unfavourable. The trust that the people needed has not been formed. Our relations with the world countries have been undermined,” Zakhailwal said.

He even suggested that the issue of women’s education should be solved within Afghanistan so that the international community won’t interfere in internal affairs. “A government is legitimate when it has a constitution and the support of the people. No government has full legitimacy without the support of the people,” TOLOnews quoted Zakhailwal saying.

Political analyst Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, said on the remarks of Zakhailwal: “The policies of the Islamic Emirate about the education and work of women created problems for the Islamic Emirate inside and outside the country. It almost isolated the Islamic Emirate. It created problems about recognition and reduced the attention of the international community to Afghanistan.” The closure of girls’ schools in Afghanistan has drawn criticism from all over the world.

Since the Taliban retook control in August 2021, numerous limitations have been placed on women. One of these restrictions, the university ban, has outraged people worldwide, particularly Muslims.

Earlier, the Taliban banned girls from going to school and after that, they have been banned to visit universities as well. The Taliban regime issued the ban after accusing female students of disobeying the university’s rigorous dress code and requiring them to travel to and from campus with a male relative.

TOLOnews recently reported that, as Afghan women continue to grapple with challenges related to education due to Taliban-imposed bans, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement said that the females in war-torn Afghanistan are living in exile in their own country.

The UN Chief reiterated that the basic rights of Afghan women and girls are trampled due to the ban on education by the de-facto authorities, reported TOLOnews. Female students in Afghnaistan have repeatedly called out to the Taliban to open education institutions for girls to attend at the earliest. (ANI)