NGO urges Taliban to end 'discriminatory' ban on girls' education

Amnesty International has called on the Taliban to immediately reopen secondary schools for Afghan girls, lambasting the regime's "discriminatory and unjust policies" that have deprived them of their fundamental right to education for over 1,000 days.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on June 14, the human rights watchdog stressed that the Taliban's actions violate international law. "For 1000 days, Afghan girls have been deprived of their right to education, locked out of their schools due to the discriminatory and unjust Taliban policies violating international law. The Taliban must immediately re-open all secondary schools to girls."

The Taliban's regressive stance on girls' education has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community. A month after seizing power in August 2021, the group reopened schools that were shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but barred girls above the sixth grade from attending classes.

More than two and a half years later, the draconian ban remains in place, with no indications from the Taliban of a potential reversal. Their policies have not only suppressed women's rights to education and employment but have also imposed severe restrictions on their freedom of movement.

The dire situation has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with aid agencies and domestic organizations facing obstacles in their operations due to the Taliban's decrees prohibiting women from working.

Media restrictions have further compounded the crisis, making it difficult for the international community to gauge the full extent of the human rights violations.

Recently, United Nations officials once again raised concerns about the plight of Afghan women during a meeting titled "Women, Youth Must Have Greater Participation in Peacebuilding Efforts" in New York. UN's Undersecretary-general for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo characterised the state of women in Afghanistan as a "lost cause."