RASC News Agency: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that this year, 38,000 girls in several provinces of Afghanistan have completed sixth grade but are now prohibited from continuing their education. On Wednesday, September 18, UNICEF released this data to mark the third anniversary of the Taliban’s ban on education for girls beyond sixth grade.
In addition to these 38,000 girls, approximately 1.5 million other girls who had completed sixth grade before the ban have also been adversely affected. Since the Taliban’s takeover in September 2021, they have barred girls above the sixth grade from attending school. Continuing their policies against female education, the Taliban have also closed universities and private educational institutions to women. They claim these measures are based on religious principles, although this justification has been widely contested.
Global Islamic scholars and many religious leaders within Afghanistan have condemned these actions as inconsistent with Islamic teachings, calling for the reopening of schools and universities for girls. Nonetheless, the Taliban have ignored these appeals and religious rulings. Experts argue that the Taliban’s policies are driven more by rigid tribal and cultural norms than by Islamic law, reflecting a cultural perspective that excludes women from public life.
