Kabul [Afghanistan], January 1 (ANI): Women and girls in Afghanistan spent a terrible time in 2022 after being banned from schooling, higher education and employment in non-governmental organizations, reported TOLO News.
The TOLO News report stated, "Secondary schools were closed to girls at the beginning of the year. Universities were closed for women in December. So was the opportunity for women to work in national and international NGOs."
Schools for girls were supposed to reopen on March 23, 2022. The Taliban, however, said that schools will remain closed until further notice. They are yet to open.
Islamic emirate officials expressed various opinions on the closure of schools. In an interview with RTA TV, Zabiullah Mujahid said that schools for girls were closed due to religious issues.
Afghanistan's acting minister under the caretaker Taliban regime later said that schools for girls were closed due to cultural issues and that people are not willing to send their daughters to school.
"If (we) were acting on Pakistan's instruction, the problems of the schools and other problems would have already been solved. This is a religious issue and it needs Islamic cleric's agreement," said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate spokesman, as quoted by TOLO News.
The TOLO News report also quoted Noorullah Munir, the former minister of education, saying that: "You wouldn't need to ask me the same question if you ask how many people in this mosque are willing to send their 16-year-old daughter to school. You and I both grew up in the same Afghan society, and the culture is clear to everyone."
A committee of eight religious experts was formed on May 26, under the leadership of Pakistan's Supreme Court chief Abdul Hakim Haqqani to look into the reopening of schools for girls. The committee is yet to make its achievements clear.
"The committee has eight members. It includes religious scholars. The committee has done some work to reopen high schools for girls. We hope it can be solved in the near future," said Inamullah Samangani, former deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, as quoted by TOLO News.
As many as 11.6 million women and girls are no longer receiving vital assistance in Afghanistan, the US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Saturday in the wake of the Taliban's decision to ban women from contributing to humanitarian aid efforts in the country.
"The Taliban's decision to ban women from contributing to humanitarian aid efforts is already having terrible consequences. According to the UN, 11.6 million women and girls in Afghanistan are no longer receiving vital assistance. This dangerous, oppressive ban must be reversed," Thomas-Greenfield tweeted. (ANI)