RASC News Agency: Karen Decker, the U.S. Charge d’Affaires for Afghanistan, has sharply criticized the Taliban’s continued prohibition on education for girls above the sixth grade, describing the policy as catastrophic. She called for the immediate reopening of schools, asserting that the Taliban are systematically depriving Afghanistani girls of their rightful role in shaping the nation’s future. In a statement released on her X account during Global Education Week, Decker reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for equal access to education in Afghanistan.
She accused the Taliban of gross injustice toward girls, labeling their actions to suppress female education as reprehensible and inhumane. Decker emphasized that Afghanistan cannot achieve sustainable progress or prosperity without the active involvement of its women and girls. “Afghanistan needs its daughters,” she stated, highlighting the critical importance of supporting their education. She further noted that the Taliban’s deep-seated misogynistic ideology is the driving force behind their relentless opposition to women’s education. As of today, 1,157 days have passed since girls above the sixth grade were barred from attending school. Furthermore, it has been over two years since universities were shuttered for female students, effectively denying Afghanistani women access to higher education.
Despite mounting international criticism, the Taliban remain silent on plans to reopen schools and have instead escalated restrictions on women. In a recent decree, the group declared women’s voices “Awrah” (inappropriate or forbidden) and ordered them not to leave their homes without urgent necessity. Reports indicate that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice frequently detains women, accusing them of engaging in “improper” behavior, unnecessary outings, or visiting markets. Many of these women are subsequently imprisoned without due process.
