Taking a grim view of the ban on schooling for female students in grades 7-12 in Afghanistan, a member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) Samira Hamidi said that the ban on girls is contrary to their commitment made to the international community. “We are witnessing the violation of all rights for women and girls. The Taliban didn’t live with their promises regarding reopening the schools for girls. The international community must put women and girls’ rights as its redline in the meetings with the Taliban. We urge the international community to hold the Taliban accountable,” Hamidi was quoted as saying by Tolo News.
Earlier, Aziz Ahmad Riyan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan said that the country is trying to reopen the schools for female students in grades 7-12. “The Islamic Emirate is making serious efforts to form a mechanism in a bid to reopen schools for female students in grades 7-12 under an Islamic structure and based on Afghan tradition,” Riyan said. The spokesperson for the United Nations Refugee Agency, Shabia Mantoo expressed concern over the situation of women in Afghanistan. She said, “We are extremely worried about the situation for women and girls.
They are facing heightened risk and challenges affecting their ability to move around freely and to work.” Amnesty International said that women’s rights were violated since the Islamic Emirate came into power, as per reported by Tolo News.
Earlier, Abdul Bari Jahani, former Minister of Information and Culture, in an open letter to the Islamic Emirate expressed his concerns over the current situation in Afghanistan and the closing of schools for girls. There was many other women’s right activist who raised their voice against Afghanistan’s ill-treatment of the women the country. Meena Habib, a women’s rights activist said, “We call on the Islamic Emirate to immediately reopen the schools for girls because as much as we improve our knowledge, our girls and country will be developed.” “Their (Islamic Emirate) children are in a calm situation and are making progress.
They have no worries. But they don’t consider the girls who are living in Afghanistan,” said Sanowbar, a women’s rights activist quoted as saying by Tolo News. Meanwhile, upon the ban on female students of grade 7 and above from attending the classes, over 50 French Parliament Members asked the country’s president Emmanuel Macron to impose further sanctions on the Taliban over the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan. The MPs in a letter concentrated on the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan, preventing girls from getting an education, a travel ban on women, and depriving women of working, reported The Khaama Press. The letter that was signed by the MPs was sent both to President Macron and the parliament of the European Union. Since the Taliban took control, Afghan girls are facing restrictions on travel, work, and education, besides their deteriorating safety situation in the country.