Post the 2021 conflict in Afghanistan where the Taliban regained claim, they have decided to hold their first ever meeting to evaluate and assess the economic and social issues that have risen up since then. The meeting however does not include any Women.
Though the agenda of the meeting is yet unknown many await news on the Taliban’s decision on girls’ education and if it will be discussed. The particular issue of how there was commitment made towards allowing girls a right to secondary schools back in March of 2022. However, was taken back given disagreements between different parts of the group on whether girls should be allowed back.
In this era the lack of women representation in a meeting that discuss prime issues of the future of the country will lay severe consequences. The imbalance of gender exacerbates the divide that exists between men and women aggravating the issue of how girls are being held back from secondary education.
On March 23rd the Taliban went back on their decision of letting girls attain secondary education by turning them away at the gates the morning of. Holding back on promises made, severely affects the mental health of these young girls. A middle school student in Southeast Afghanistan said “In my dawn prayer, I praised Allah for answering my prayers to continue my studies … I walked to school as fast as I could, only to be turned away at gunpoint. The sadness and despair were overwhelming.”
Claiming to allow them back into an education system and then stripping them of the opportunity overwhelms individuals with sadness and despair. This only pushes girls further to the sidelines and holds them back from filling jobs that the Taliban currently allows women to have like doctors, nurses, and teachers.
The longer girls are held back the more time is lost of them being able to attain this education, reforms need to take place to allow girls in Afghanistan to not fall behind in a tool such as education that prospers the economic and social world.
Everytime I think of this situation, I personally find it extremely ironic how these very 'men' would rather let their women suffer in the name of 'honour' than be treated by a male doctor or attended by a male attendant. They need female doctors, lawyers, nurses to protect their 'honour', but they will do everything in their power to keep more young women to get to the point where they are qualified enough to do that.
I believe that while reform might take a while, we as the international community must reach out to our sisters in Afghanistan and extend instructional materials to them in order to make sure that their education continues uninterrupted. Donor assistance should also be strictly…
This issue is of grave importance for the well-being of the Afghani populace, but it will conveniently be forgotten and deemed as not important just like it always is. Taliban will always be hesitant in giving the Afghani women any real authority or role in state affairs, The international community needs to put pressure on the Taliban to ensure a better quality of life for the women living there.
I think an effort that can be made specifically from international communities may be to limit the finding of their educational center until girls are allowed equal and quality higher education these are reforms that the international centre can introduce and promote given the state of Afghanistan limited funds will be something they won’t be able to accept nudging them into the direction of letting girls back into the education system. The Taliban since coming back to power have been determined to ignore the wishes of the Afghan people and returning to a conservative and backward looking future for women
These discriminatory policies may come at a risk of not only putting a pause on female education but also on their mental wellbeing. In conflict settings, when many children are likely to develop psychological problems, the safety of a routine, social interaction, and learning can act as a counter to these problems. By preventing girls from attending schools, Afghanistan puts a large number of children at risk of developing mental disorders. A Taliban spokesperson says "our men and sisters have the same rights" but continue to discriminate among the children and as you stated go back on their promises.
If something isn't done soon to counter this extremely unfair treatment towards girls' education in Afghanistan, things are only going to get worse. What is even more concerning is that none can hold Talibans accountable as the decision lies in their hand.
Taliban should think about the benefits of giving equal education opportunities to girls. Not only will it help the country economically but also socially. When a mother is educated, she educates everyone in the house. This will have further long-term benefits when children will be raised by educated parents and this will result in individuals that are good citizens and socially responsible.