400 days since closure of girls’ schools by the Islamic Emirate

KABUL (SW) – It has been more than 400 days now that tens of thousands of female students across Afghanistan have been prevented from going to school by the Islamic Emirate authorities.

Sharifa, a student of the 11th grade who has been counting down the days to go back to her classroom for more than a year, told Salam Watandar that the enthusiasm and interest she had before has been lost.

“I can’t even go to the tutions or study on my own”, she said.

“I hoped to pass the university entrance exam and become a doctor, to serve the people”, she added.

Sharifa said that these days she no longer has the desire to study and plan her academic future because the closure of the school has put her educational prospects in doubt. The Kabul-based young female student said until the ambiguity is clarified, she will not be able to get back her lost motivation.

Shukriya, another student who studied in 10th grade before the rise to power of the Islamic Emirate, says that due to the closure of schools for girls, she sees the dreams she had woven for his future lost.

“It really wasn’t fair with us to be excluded from school. Afghanistan is a country that needs science and knowledge but unfortunately, the government deprived us of school for its policies.”

This is despite the fact that international institutions have repeatedly expressed concern about the continued closure of girls’ schools and have never entered into constructive discussions with the Islamic Emirate to reopen them.

Heather Barr, Associate women’s rights director and former Afghanistan researcher at the Human Rights Watch, in an interview with Salam Watandar, while expressing concern about the consequences of closing schools for girls, criticized the international community.

“One of the worrisome questions is why the international community is not getting the answer to this problem and has not made it a priority.” she said,

“How can something like this happen in 2022 and the world responds to it by issuing a statement and expressing deep concern and nothing more.”

Following its return to power last summer, the Islamic Emirate has banned girls above the sixth grade from going to school.

Although, the closure of girls’ schools has caused many criticisms inside and outside the country but the Islamic Emirate has not responded and has evaded the girls’ demand for their right to education each time with a new promise.

ENDS

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