Girls, teachers urge Taliban to reopen schools

Kabul: Girls and teachers have urged the Taliban to reopen schools for girls and young women. Schools for girls have been closed for about two months after the Taliban takeover. Only three provinces in Afghanistan — Balkh, Kunduz and Sar-i-Pul — have reopened schools for girls.

Madina, a 12th-grade student of a school in Kabul wished for schools to reopen in the capital city and other provinces too. “I am optimistic about reopening schools in some provinces. We wish that schools will be opened in Kabul and other provinces. As the winter is approaching, with the weather getting cold and facilities being limited in public schools, it gets difficult for us to study then,” she said.

Ashoqullah, who is a schoolteacher, said that girls have the right to education and schools must be reopened immediately. “Girls also have the right to education and the schools must be immediately opened. A big section of society, which is women, should not be affected,” Ashoqullah said.

Earlier on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the Taliban has broken all the promises made to Afghan women and girls. “I am alarmed to see promises made to Afghan women and girls by the Taliban being broken,” Guterres said.

He further appealed to the Taliban to keep their promises under the international human rights law. “I strongly appeal to the Taliban to keep their promises to women and girls and their obligations under international human rights law.”