Taliban likely to allow secondary education for girls in Afghanistan amid global pressure

The Taliban will “very soon” allow girls to attend secondary schools, a senior UNICEF official said days after meeting the newly formed government in Afghanistan. While the hardliner administration had initially vowed to allow females in all education institutions, last month they passed a 'diktat' allowing secondary education to open only for males. However, addressing media reporters on Friday, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi reckoned that the Taliban were working on a framework that would allow girls to study beyond the sixth grade. He further stated that the new framework would be released within "a month and two".

At present, only five Afghan provinces namely Balkh, Jawzjan, Samangan, Kunduz, and Urozgan have allowed girls to acquire secondary education. It is imperative to note that the Taliban's move comes after scores of women took to the streets to protest against the Taliban's ultra-austere education policy. As per ToloNews, the demonstrators asserted that closing schools and colleges for women accounted for a direct violation of their fundamental rights. Additionally, there have been repeated calls for the same by major international organisations and major western powers including the US, the UK amongst others. 

Abdi, meanwhile, said that during his visit to Kabul last month, he met the Taliban government’s acting education minister and reiterated his call to allow girls to resume their learning. Education was critical for the girls themselves and the country as a whole, Abdi has said at the meeting, according to Associated Press. 

“As I speak to you today, millions of girls of secondary school age are missing out on education for the 27th consecutive day,” Abdi was quoted as saying by AP. “We are urging them not to wait. Any day that we wait -- it’s a day lost for those girls that are out of school.”

'Need to tackle conservative society'

Calling for the sustenance of gains made in the field of education, the UN official said that efforts would be needed to tackle the conservative society if girls were to be allowed for secondary education. “The authorities that I’ve met said that when they put in place the framework that they are working on, it will convince more parents to send their girls to school because it will address concerns in conservative societies about separating girls and boys and female teachers," Abdi was quoted as saying by the AP. 

During their previous regime, from 1996 to 2001, the Islamist group forbade women from getting any kind of education and blatantly denied their right to work. They also stopped women from traveling outside their homes without a male relative accompanying them. Some of the more gruesome acts by the Taliban include public executions and floggings.

(Image: AP) 

(With inputs from AP)