RASC News Agency: Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has expressed grave concern over the devastating consequences of the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, reporting a significant increase in self-harm and suicide among Afghan girls excluded from schooling. In an interview, Bennett highlighted the destructive psychological toll of the prohibition, stating, “Girls who are denied education now face lives confined almost entirely to their homes, with little hope for the future. This restriction, paired with the threat of early or forced marriages, has pushed thousands into depression and despair. The instances of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and even suicides have risen alarmingly.”
Bennett further noted that the ban’s implications extend beyond individual girls, impacting the entire Afghanistan society. “A nation cannot progress when half of its population is barred from contributing to its economy. The exclusion of girls from education stifles Afghanistan’s development,” he remarked. He warned of the long-term societal consequences, including worsening poverty, heightened gender inequality, an uptick in gender-based violence, and the prevalence of child marriages and child labor. “The ripple effects of this ban are profound, threatening not just the present but the future stability of Afghanistan,” Bennett emphasized.
Bennett also called for urgent international intervention to support Afghanistani girls denied access to education. He described the Taliban’s policies as a systematic form of oppression, marked by discrimination, segregation, and the deliberate erosion of women’s rights. “The Taliban’s actions constitute a widespread and methodical attack on human dignity,” Bennett said, adding, “Their decrees and policies are so pervasive and severe that they may amount to crimes against humanity, particularly gender-based persecution.” He concluded by underscoring the suffering of Afghanistani women and girls, stating, “They are the primary victims of the Taliban’s draconian regime, bearing the brunt of policies that disregard fundamental human rights and dignity.”
