High schools reopened in Afghanistan but Taliban banned girls

High schools reopened in Afghanistan on Saturday, but there were no female students or teachers in classrooms since the Taliban, who have ruled the country for a month, only allowed boys to access classes, to the chagrin of Unicef, which demanded that “girls not be left behind”.

Ten days after the reopening of the country’s private universities, the Education Ministry announced on Friday that “all men, teachers and students” high school, they could go back to class, without making any reference to teachers or students. The decision rests with students aged 13-18.

Primary school has already resumed in the country and the girls go to class, separated from the boys. Some teachers also continue to teach.

The lack of information on what will happen to high school students and other women’s issues is fueling the concern of some Afghans and the international community, who they fear that the same situation will only happen again when the Islamists took power in the country, between 1996 and 2001.

At this moment, the Islamist movement has pursued a particularly repressive policy against women, that he did not allow to work, study, play sports or walk alone in the street.

“Essential” education

After the departure of the Taliban in 2001, overthrown by an international coalition led by the United States, women were able to gradually recover their fundamental rights and access sectors of society or activities that were prohibited to them, such as becoming a judge, MP or pilots.

“UNICEF welcomes the reopening of secondary schools in Afghanistan, but stresses that girls cannot be left behind,” UN agency executive director Henrietta Fore said on Friday.

“It is essential that everyone, including the elderly, can continue their education without further delay and that teachers can continue to teach.“Unicef ​​said in a statement, recalling the”considerable progress in the country over the past two decades”.

Over the past 20 years, the number of schools in the country has tripled and the number of boys and girls in school has increased from one million to 9.5 million, according to the United Nations agency.

Since their return to power, the Taliban have tried to reassure the international community by ensuring, among other things, that women’s rights would be respected. But these statements are not reflected in the decisions the new executive makes.

While it is true that women retain the right to study at university, must be covered with an abaya, a tunic on the feet, and a hijab or veil, and classes take place as far as possible without mixing men with women.

There are also no women in the provisional government announced in early September.

Besides, the seat of the Ministry for the Status of Women is now occupied by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, an institution synonymous with fundamentalism under the first Taliban government.

(With information from AFP)

KEEP READING: