Human Rights & Public Liberties

Human Rights & Public Liberties

Newsletter
Published on: 13 Jan, 2021

Girls will go to school in Afghanistan

Published on: 23 March, 2022
Afghani women and girls/Aljazeera

Afghani women and girls/Aljazeera

The Taliban have said that they will reopen all girls’ secondary schools in Afghanistan from Wednesday for the first time since they seized power in August last year.

The UN’s children’s agency Unicef said in February the Taliban was ‘showing commitment’ to reopening classes to girls – a step that could help unlock foreign aid. It’s not clear though under what conditions girls would return nor under what restrictions.

Despite the lack of a formal ban, girls in grade seven and up have effectively been barred from going to school in most of the country.

Michelle Bachelet, the UN‘s top rights official said on Tuesday”I share the profound frustration and disappointment of Afghan high school girls and women, who after six months of anticipation were prevented from returning to school today. The de facto authorities’ failure to adhere to commitments to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade – in spite of repeated commitments towards girls’ education, including during my visit to Kabul two weeks ago – is deeply damaging for Afghanistan.”  https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/profound-frustration-as-taliban-shuts-afghan-girls-schools-un/

“I call on the de facto authorities to respect all girls’ rights to education and to open schools for all students without discrimination or further delay,” Bachelet added. https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/profound-frustration-as-taliban-shuts-afghan-girls-schools-un/

Access to education is a key demand of the international community.

The Taliban have blamed delays on lack of adequate space, especially in cities, to accommodate segregated schooling.

Aljazeera.