RASC News Agency: Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has condemned the exclusion of Afghanistani girls from education and employment, calling it an unbearable violation of fundamental human rights. On Sunday, January 19, Egeland shared insights from his visit to a carpet-weaving factory in Herat. He recounted meeting young girls forced to abandon their education and take up carpet weaving. One of the girls told him, “I only studied until the fifth grade, but my dream remains to become a doctor.”
Egeland, who recently announced his visit to Afghanistan, also highlighted his interactions with women in Herat who have taken on the role of sole providers for their families. He stressed that the international community has largely neglected Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian and human rights crises. Since their return to power, the Taliban have systematically dismantled women’s rights, barring women from working and closing schools beyond sixth grade as well as universities to Afghanistani girls. Initially, these measures were described as “temporary improvements until further notice.” However, it has become increasingly clear that the Taliban’s opposition to women’s education is ideological and deeply ingrained.
The socio-cultural norms underpinning the Taliban’s worldview are inherently misogynistic, viewing women’s presence outside the home as a source of shame. However, rather than openly acknowledging that their tribal and patriarchal culture prohibits women from living as equals, the Taliban claim that such restrictions are mandated by Islam. Egeland’s observations underscore the devastating consequences of these policies on Afghanistani women and girls. He called for urgent international action to address these egregious violations of human rights, reminding the world of its moral obligation to support Afghanistan’s most vulnerable citizens.
