Taliban faces increasing global pressure to reopen schools to Afghanistan girls
Heartbreaking visuals showed some girls crying over the decision while others chose to take the protest route. The decision has triggered criticism worldwide.
Months after Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the struggle of civilians continues to capture global attention. In the latest issue that has emerged from the South Asian nation, a halt in education for girls has sparked huge concerns. Earlier this week, the Taliban government had closed secondary schools hours after girl students were back in classrooms. Schools had been shut for nearly seven months.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, an education ministry notice said on Wednesday that schools for girls above class 6 would be closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law and Afghan culture. “We inform all girls in high schools and those schools that are having female students above class six that they are off until the next order,” it read.
Heartbreaking visuals showed some girls crying over the decision while others chose to take the protest route. The decision has triggered criticism worldwide.
Now, female foreign ministers of 16 countries have urged Taliban for a rethink. "As women and as foreign ministers, we are deeply disappointed and concerned that girls in Afghanistan are being denied access to secondary schools this spring. We call upon the Taliban to reverse their recent decision and to grant equal access to all levels of education, in all provinces of the country," a joint statement read.
The ministers of Albania, Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Kosovo, Malawi, Mongolia, New Zealand, Sweden, Tonga and Britain have sent the letter, news agency AP reported.
At the United Nations, diplomats of 10 countries have sent across a similar message.
The United States, according to reports, has cancelled some planned meetings in Doha, Qatar, as Taliban continues its hard-line stance. On cancelled meetings in Doha. That's correct. We have cancelled some of our engagements, including planned meetings in Doha and around the Doha forum and made clear that we see this decision as a potential turning point in our engagement," US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter was quoted as saying in reports.
In a tweet, UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) wrote, "Taliban decision on girls' education will cause irreparable damage to Afghanistan if not reversed. @DeborahLyonsUN message to the Taliban today, meeting in Qatar with their Doha office head @suhailsaheen1."
After returning to power last year, Taliban had promised a softer rule compared with their first regime from 1996 to 2001, infamous for rampant human rights abuses. Yet the regime imposed a slew of restrictions on women, effectively banning them from many government jobs, policing what they wear and preventing them from travelling outside of their cities alone.
(With inputs from AP, AFP)