Afghanistan COI Repository

For more information about the interpretation of Sharia law in educational institutions, please refer to the chapter How is Sharia law interpreted and applied?

 

CEDAW, Banning women and girls from schools and workplace jeopardises entire country, UN committee condemns, 29 December 2022

" GENEVA (29 December 2022) – The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has strongly condemned the recent decisions by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to exclude women and girls from universities and ban them from working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), saying they are cruel violations of women and girls’ rights. They stressed that these policies would result in one of the world’s largest gender gaps and jeopardise the entire country for generations. The Committee issued the following statement:

“We condemn in the strongest terms the decision by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to exclude women and girls from universities. We also deplore the latest decree to ban women from working for NGOs. Since returning to power, the de facto authorities have shut down secondary schools for girls across the country, and it is estimated that more than one million girls have been barred from attending high school over the past year. With the latest ban on universities, the country is now excluding half of its population from normal schooling, creating one of the world’s biggest gender gaps. The order forbids women from working in NGOs, which will not only deprive them and their families of income but will also completely erase their only social life and deny them an opportunity to contribute to the country’s development. Their exclusion also means millions of women and girls could be left out of the humanitarian response, which is critically important to the country where about six million people are at risk of famine. These destructive policies will have harmful consequences for Afghanistan for generations to come.

These decisions must be reversed immediately, and women and girls of all ages in every part of Afghanistan should be allowed to return to their classrooms and workplace safely. We recall our 2020 recommendations to the country to ‘ensure that women and girls have the same level of access to secondary and higher education as men and boys’. The exclusion of women and girls from secondary schools and universities amounts to a direct violation of the country’s binding legal obligations to uphold the fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed in customary international law and human rights treaties to which it is a party, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. We call upon the de facto authorities to revoke these.

Over the past six weeks, this crucial lifeline has all but disappeared. Most of the shelters have closed their doors at decisions without delay in order to fully comply with the CEDAW Convention and other human rights treaties, with the view to restoring access to all levels of education for women and girls throughout the country. The full realisation of their right to education and the right to participate freely and safely in the development of Afghan society are interlinked. The Committee urges the de facto authorities to respect and protect the rights of women and girls to peaceful assembly in recent demonstrations triggered by the decisions to ban women from universities. The Committee also calls for the immediate release of the women reportedly arrested during these protests.””

 

UNSC, Security Council Press Statement on Afghanistan, 27 December 2022

“The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Ruchira Kamboj (India): The members of the Security Council are deeply alarmed by reports that the Taliban have suspended access to universities for women and girls, and reiterated their deep concern of the suspension of school beyond the sixth grade, and their call for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan, and called on the Taliban to reopen schools and swiftly reverse these policies and practices, which represent an increasing erosion of the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The members of the Security Council are furthermore profoundly concerned by reports that the Taliban have banned female employees of non-governmental organizations and international organizations from going to work, which would have a significant and immediate impact for humanitarian operations in the country, including those of the United Nations, and the delivery of aid and health work, and that these restrictions contradict the commitments made by the Taliban to the Afghan people, as well as the expectations of the international community.”

 

Save the Children, 9 facts about Save the Children’s work in Afghanistan, 27 December 2022

“KABUL, 27 December 2022 – Save the Children has suspended its operations in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s announcement that women are banned from working for INGOs. We cannot and will not operate without the full participation of and guarantees of safety for our female front line and office-based staff. A Save the Children spokesperson said: “Female staff members are at the heart of Save the Children’s work in Afghanistan. They are our doctors, nurses, midwives, they are our counsellors, case workers and teachers, they are our finance, security and human resources experts. “Most importantly, our female staff members enable us to access women and children. Most women in Afghanistan are only allowed to see female health professionals and case workers, and girls can only be taught by female teachers. If female staff are removed from the NGO workforce in Afghanistan, we will no longer be able to provide life-saving services to millions of women and children. Without them, we simply cannot safely operate.

“The ban on female staff will have a direct impact on the life-saving assistance Save the Children provide and we are calling for an immediate reversal to this decision.” Save the Children is one of the largest INGOs in the country and has been operating in Afghanistan since 1976. Here are 9 facts about Save the Children’s work in Afghanistan: Number of staff in Afghanistan – 5,700 staff and community workers Number of women staff - 2,490 staff or community workers Number of people helped since Save the Children re-started operations in September 2021 following the Taliban takeover – 3.9 million people, including 1 million girls and 1.2 million women Number of provinces where Save the Children works– 17 out of 34 (both directly and through partners)¹ Number of children in need of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan – 14 million Number of children with severe acute malnutrition Save the Children is currently treating– 73,000 Number of women currently receiving care via Save the Children mobile clinics – 30,000 Number of community-based education classes run by Save the Children – 3,392 Number of households who have received cash assistance from Save the Children totalling 16.4 million USD – 130, 514 ENDS”

 

Afghan Red Crescent, Uruzgan (24 December 2022), 24 December 2022

“60 students have graduated from short-term education of ARCS educational center in Uruzgan province. The educational center for years providing free of cost short-term education to vulnerable children in English, Islamic studies, mathematics and computer subjects.”

 

Afghan Red Crescent, Nangarhar (22 December 2022) [EN/Dari/PS], 22 December 2022

“In continuation of dissemination sessions by ARCS, on 20th December, ARCS has arranged a dissemination session for 45 teachers and students in Sayd Jamal Uddin Afghan high school in Koz Kunar Khiwa district of Nangarhar province. In this session, the officer of dissemination department of ARCS has briefed the participants regarding history, fundamental principles & emblems of ARCS & movement & services of ARCS.”

 

UNOCHA, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths

Statement for the Security Council Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan, 20 December 2022

“[…] 1.1 million teenage girls remain banned from school.”

 

Save the Children, New Analysis – Afghanistan tops list of 7 countries where children were most in need in 2022, 20 December 2022

“The number of children needing humanitarian assistance rose more than 20% this year to 149 million, with Afghanistan then the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) most severely impacted, according to a Save the Children analysis of the top seven emergencies impacting children in 2022. An analysis of a new Global Humanitarian Overview data from the UN found there was over 149 million children in need in 2022 compared to 123 million children the previous year. The increase of 26 million children can be attributed to new and protracted conflict, skyrocketing hunger, and the climate crisis. Afghanistan topped the list with an estimated 14 million children in need of aid in 2022, according to the analysis by Save the Children. This follows a year when conflict, the climate crisis, and economic devastation created a perfect storm of suffering for millions of children around the world. Afghanistan was closely followed by the DRC, which has an estimated 13.9 million children in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite having the largest overall numbers of people in need in 2022, the DRC’s humanitarian response has received less than half of the funding target set by the UN. Ethiopia, Yemen and Pakistan also featured on a list by Save the Children of the seven emergencies where the highest number of children were in critical need of essential services such as food, clean water, shelter and mental health and psychosocial support. Globally there are now more conflicts than at any time since the end of the World War Two and they all have a devastating impact on children’s lives. 

During a conflict, children are far more likely to die from blast wounds than adults. Children living in areas of conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Afghanistan, DRC, and Yemen, are vulnerable to human rights abuses. In many places there continues to be a lack of accountability for violations against children, resulting in a climate of impunity. The climate crisis has led to natural disasters being more frequent and more severe. Climate related disasters have had an horrific impact on children this year, from extreme flooding in Pakistan, to droughts which have led to catastrophic food shortages in countries such as Ethiopia and the surrounding region. Climate related disasters have contributed to child hunger and malnutrition increasing globally, for the first time in decades.”

 

Afghan Red Crescent, Providing Public Awareness In Farah, Kunar, Khost & Jozjan Provinces By ARCS! [EN/Dari/PS], 18 December 2022

“ARCS has arranged various dissemination sessions to teachers, students & tribal elders in Qala-e-Zaman school & Gurg Abad village of Farah province, Narang high school of Narang district-Kunar province. Lakano high school-Khost province & in Aqcha district of Jozjan province. This session was attended by 130 people, where the officers of dissemination department of ARCS has briefed them regarding history, fundamental principles & emblems of ARCS & movement & services of ARCS.”

 

UNICEF, UNICEF Afghanistan Humanitarian Situation Report No.12 for 30 November 2022, 16 December 2022 “Despite the challenging education environment, UNICEF supported 522,524 children (57 per cent girls) with education opportunities through 14,981 community-based education (CBE) classes.”

 

Afghan Red Crescent, Kandahar (7 December 2022), 7 December 2022

“Providing education facilities to the young generation of society is considered one of the main objectives of ARCS, therefore 67 students have graduated and got their diplomas from the educational center of ARCS. In aforementioned educational center English, computer, and science subjects are taught to the students. It is worth mentioning that currently 110 female and 310 male students are studying in the above-mentioned educational center.”

 

ICRC, Afghanistan: disability in warzone - a constant fight for survival and dignity, 3 December 2022

 

Afghan's lives have been deeply impacted and transformed by over four decades of war. Some people lost a limb due to the conflict or accidents. They saw their mobility and independence reduced, faced the stigma of the society. What is it like to live with physical disabilities in a warzone? How is it possible to find a job when most of the people struggle to secure an income? What does it feel like to be discriminated by your peers, when already facing the consequences of decades of conflict, economic and humanitarian crises? We asked those questions to some of our colleagues at the occasion of the International day of people with disabilities.

They accepted to share their stories, to show that physical disabilities are not an absolute obstacle and to inspire others that are facing similar situations. […] Fazel, got infected by Poliomyelitis when he was only three. He faced his first challenges at school. "Children were not interested to play with me, and I was often labeled as "disabled" among my classmates, because I had trouble to walk", remembers Fazel. […] in 2000, due to economic challenges, Fazel's family was forced to leave Afghanistan and take refuge in Pakistan. To support his Father financially, Fazel started to sell water in bus stops along with his siblings, earning 50 – 60 PKR (0,3 USD) under 40-degree weather. As time passed by, his father, who never stopped trusting in his son, enrolled Fazel in a technical course to learn tailoring. "I never gave up and always found solutions to problems. After years of hardships in Pakistan, I finally returned home to continue my education." […] Weeda lost her right leg when a handcart full of construction material accidently fell on her. After a long journey through rehabilitation, she was fitted with an artificial limb by the ICRC, which helped her regain autonomy and mobility. Despite all her efforts and self-discipline, she faced some particularly difficult moments. "Because of my physical disability, my own family prevented me from continuing my education", explains Weeda. "When I turned seven, my family told me that I did not need to study. They said that someone whose leg has been amputated is not any good for society". […] In a celebratory gunfire in Kabul many years ago, Khalid got hit with a bullet in his neck while playing with his friends in the street, resulting in losing his lower body's mobility and becoming paralyzed. For him, seeing other children going to school and playing outside was very painful as he could not enjoy his childhood anymore. "My classmates were also coming to our home and were asking me why I was not going to school. I was very disappointed because I could not go with them anymore because of my physical condition." […] The physical rehabilitation of people with disabilities is just the first step in their reintegration into society. Recognizing this, the ICRC's physical rehabilitation programme also works to ensure that their rights and their access to education, employment, microcredit loans, vocational training and sports are protected. Between January and October, around 270 students (boys and girls) benefited from ICRC's homeschooling program and 416 were granted microcredit loans to start a business.”

 

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan –France condemns school attack in the strongest possible terms, 30 November 2022

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the November 30th terrorist attack against a school in the city of Aybak, in Samangan province, which killed at least 20 students and children and left a dozen wounded. We offer our condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones and express our solidarity with those who were wounded. France reiterates the importance of a universal right to education, with special attention to defending the rights of Afghan girls and women, as well as the need to combat terrorism in all its forms.”

 

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Why the Afghan Government Collapsed, 15 November 2022

“In 2021, before the collapse of the Afghan government, we documented the significant gains women experienced in Afghanistan under the U.S.-supported government, including educational attainment, reduced maternal mortality, participation in the workforce and civil society, and occupying public office. However, unlike the more durable gains in literacy, many of the new roles for women in Afghan society have been reversed easily by the Taliban, who have imposed new restrictions on women’s ability to participate in public life. In March 2022, the Taliban declined to open schools for girls beyond the sixth grade, and in May 2022, they ordered women to cover themselves from head-to-toe while in public.”

 

UNICEF, Afghanistan Humanitarian Situation Report No. 11, 31 October 2022

“UNICEF supported 490,199 children (58 per cent girls) with education opportunities through more than 16,000 community-based education (CBE) classes, an increase from 299,430 children supported in September. Of these, 101,308 were new students who gained access to education through the establishment of new CBE classes in October. In the Southern Region, UNICEF supported the reopening of previously closed public schools, as well as improving existing public schools, reaching more than 123,000 new students. UNICEF supported distribution of classroom materials, teaching and learning materials, and textbooks to CBEs and public schools, benefitting a total of 1,299,844 students across the country, of which 809,645 were children in public schools. In October, UNICEF completed emergency cash support payments for 5,237 public school teachers (US$ 100 per month) and addressed outstanding grievances and supported payments for TVET teachers. UNICEF also supported the training of 4,127 teachers, of which 3,275 were CBE teachers and 852 were public school teachers. UNICEF continued monitoring the situation of secondary girls’ education through staff, technical extenders and partners, and found that despite restrictions, secondary schools remained open for girls in 12 provinces, with schools fully open in five provinces and partially open in seven provinces.”

 

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Afghanistan: Earthquake Response Situation Report No. 4, 31 October 2022

“Besides the earthquake, the affected areas have been historically underserved with around 30,000 school aged children in need of education. UNICEF has established 140 Community-Based Education (CBE) and assessed 17 schools and one Madrassa for renovation. The extreme lack of educational facilities in these areas even prior to the earthquake cannot be remedied by humanitarian action alone and requires longer-term and more sustainable interventions.”

 

AAN, The Daily Hustle: One young woman’s journey to an English course in Kabul, 15 October 2022

“For many Afghans the first year of Taleban rule was marked by uncertainty and anxiety over the country’s sudden change in fortunes. Virtually every area of daily life, from banking and shopping to travelling around the country to marriage celebrations has been affected. We wanted to find out from a variety of people how an aspect of their daily life had changed and how they were negotiating this changed landscape. In this first instalment of a new series, AAN guest author, Rama Mirzada, writes about what it has been like for her, a young woman, to overcome her fears, and the anxiety of her family, at her leaving the house to enrol in an English language course. […] We continue to arrive every morning on a campus segregated by gender. Although there are no male students in the building when female classes are in session – except for the instructors and university staff, who are mostly male – female students must leave the campus immediately after their classes end. Coaxed by the guards to make haste and vacate the premises, we make way for male students to enter the campus 30 minutes after our classes are dismissed. This doesn’t leave much time for us to get to know our classmates or have side conversations outside the classroom. But, for now, sharing space in a classroom where we can learn together is enough.”

 

AP, Death toll in last week’s Kabul school blast climbs to 52, 3 October 2022

“Last week’s suicide bombing at a Kabul education center killed as many as 52 people, more than twice the death toll acknowledged by Taliban officials, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press on Monday. Dozens more were wounded in Friday’s blast, making it one of the bloodiest attacks since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan more than a year ago. There was no claim of responsibility, but Islamic State group extremists have carried out a series of attacks against Taliban targets and ethnic minorities. The blast struck at a time when hundreds of teen-age students were taking practice exams at the Kaaj Higher Educational Center in the Afghan capital. The explosion blew the roof off the building. Taliban security officials initially said 19 people had been killed, then revised the death toll to 25 over the weekend. However, the AP spoke directly to relatives of 39 of those killed and obtained the names and other information about the remaining 13.”

ACLED, Regional Overview: South Asia and Afghanistan 10-16 September 2022, 22 September 2022

“[…] Meanwhile, students and teachers protested in response to the closure of girls’ schools in Paktia province last week. The schools had briefly opened despite the Taliban’s nationwide ban, before closing again due to the lack of formal permission from the Ministry of Education (Al Jazeera, 10 September 2022). Protests took place in Gardez city and Samkani district. Taliban officials dispersed both protests, arresting some demonstrating teachers and journalists covering the protests.”

 

ACLED, Regional Overview: South Asia and Afghanistan 10-16 September 2022, 22 September 2022

“[…] Meanwhile, students and teachers protested in response to the closure of girls’ schools in Paktia province last week. The schools had briefly opened despite the Taliban’s nationwide ban, before closing again due to the lack of formal permission from the Ministry of Education (Al Jazeera, 10 September 2022). Protests took place in Gardez city and Samkani district. Taliban officials dispersed both protests, arresting some demonstrating teachers and journalists covering the protests.”

 

Gandhara, UN Condemns Taliban Ban On High School For Girls As 'Tragic, Shameful,' 18 September 2022

“The United Nations has condemned a Taliban ban on high school for girls across Afghanistan, saying the policy put in place a year ago is "tragic and shameful." “The ongoing exclusion of girls from high school has no credible justification and has no parallel anywhere in the world,” Markus Potzel, the acting chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said in a statement on September 18.”

[…] "The severe rollback of the rights of women and girls, reprisals targeting opponents and critics, and a clampdown on freedom of expression by the Taliban amount to a descent towards authoritarianism," Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, told a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.”

 

UNHCR; UN Women, Afghanistan Crisis Update: Women and Girls in Displacement: Factsheet II – September 2022, 18 September 2022

“Afghanistan is now the only country in the world expressly prohibiting girls from attending secondary education. On 23 March 2022, an official announcement was made to indefinitely postpone the planned reopening of schooling for girls above grade 6. This is expected to worsen the already low female literacy rate in the country, which currently stands at 23 per cent. At present, it is estimated that more than 2 million girls age 10–14 are affected by secondary school closures, as are 1.8 million girls age 15–19. This will have lifelong consequences, as evidence shows that higher education is associated with older age at first marriage, better paid jobs, higher likelihood to own assets, more decision-making power and lower exposure to intimate partner violence. […] Girls encounter significant barriers to access schooling in countries neighbouring Afghanistan. Refugee girls face further barriers arising from social norms and poverty, among other factors.”

 

Gandhara, Protesting Afghans Defy Taliban Notion They Don't Want Girls In School, 16 September 2022

“The issue of girls' education, which has been somewhat overshadowed by humanitarian and economic crises as Afghans transition to life under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam, returned to the forefront after a decision to reopen girls' schools in the eastern province of Paktia was suddenly reversed this week.” “The schools in Paktia's Gardez and Chamkani districts were reopened in early September for girls above sixth grade on the recommendation of tribal elders and school principals, and in contrast to the restrictions imposed around most of the country since the Taliban regained power in August 2021.”

“But the schools were reportedly closed on September 10, leading to an outcry from rights groups and educators in Afghanistan and abroad and to immediate street protests by schoolgirls in Paktia.” […] “Heather Barr, associate director for the women's rights division of Human Rights Watch, says that the closure of girls' schools in Paktia conflicts with the Taliban's promises to reopen them. "It means that the Taliban have no plans to allow girls to go to school," Barr told RFE/RL. "And with this action, a horrible and terrible future will unfold for Afghan women and girls and all Afghans in general, because a country cannot grow when half of its population is illiterate." “Matiullah Wisa, the head of Pen Path, says the decision to close the girls' schools in Paktia let down many Afghans.” "Fathers are disappointed. People are disappointed. People expect schools from the government," Wisa said. "It's an unfair decision. People are left in the dark."

 

EUAA, Afghanistan – Targeting of Individuals, 16 September 2022

"In July 2022, WSJ reported that ‘[m]idwives say dozens of staff have fled the country, and more plan to leave because of the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education and curbs on women’s freedom."

 

OHCHR, Human Rights Council Discusses Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan, with a Focus on the Situation of Women and Girls, Human Rights Council Discusses Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan, with a Focus on the Situation of Women and Girls | OHCHR , 12 September 2022“One year after the Taliban’s military takeover […] Girls were still barred from secondary schools. Women were deprived of safety, freedom and fulfilment […]”

 

UNFPA, ‘Giving up is not an option’ - Young Afghan forced out of school remains hopeful, 25 August 2022

“The Taliban’s series of directives that effectively restrict women and girls from participating in public life. To fill her time and still feel productive, Ms. Fasihi joined the Youth Peer Educators Network (Y-PEER), a regional initiative led by and for youth, supported by UNFPA. The training opened her eyes to various issues young Afghans face on a daily basis, especially among young girls, such as early marriage and early pregnancy. The unprecedented poverty resulting from the economic crisis that came with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has brought to the fore discussions about child marriages.”

 

UNICEF, Delivering for the children of Afghanistan, 19 August 2022

“A year since the Taliban seized power and UNICEF pledged to ‘stay and deliver,’ life in Afghanistan – already weakened by decades of insecurity and natural disasters, and now distanced from the global community – has further deteriorated. The country is in crisis, and it’s a child rights crisis.

Millions of children continue to need essential services, including primary healthcare, lifesaving vaccines against polio and measles, nutrition, education, protection, shelter, water and sanitation. UNICEF has been on the ground in Afghanistan for over 70 years with 13 offices nationwide and a range of partners that support us in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable, especially children. But as winter approaches, urgent funding is needed to secure children’s futures, to guarantee their rights, and to ensure that vital support is given equitably to all of Afghanistan’s children.

More than half the country – 24 million people, including 13 million children – are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Crushing poverty is driving parents to pull children out of school and into dangerous forms of work. Mistaking explosive remnants of war for playthings, hundreds of children have been killed and maimed this year. Depleted by chronic hunger, malnutrition and disease stalk infants and children. Natural disasters – from drought to earthquakes – have pushed the most disadvantaged further into deprivation.

Meanwhile, in an alarming roll-back of their rights, more than 1 million girls from grade 7-12 have been barred from high school since last August. Prolonged school closures and absences often result in children, particularly girls, not returning to complete their education – with lasting impacts on children.

[…] More than 3 million children are at risk of acute malnutrition, making them vulnerable to preventable disease. Of them, over 1 million children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition – the most lethal form of undernutrition. UNICEF and partners are working to identify and treat severely wasted children, including through nutrition counselling and treatment services. UNICEF also supports multiple micronutrient supplements and multiple micronutrient powders programmes.”

BBC News, Afghanistan: What's changed a year after Taliban return, 16 August 2022

“In March, schools re-opened for a new academic year, but the Taliban reversed an earlier promise and girls are currently not permitted to attend secondary school. The Taliban has blamed a lack of female teachers and the need to arrange the segregation of facilities. This has affected an estimated 1.1 million pupils, according to the UN and has provoked widespread international criticism. Primary school education for girls has been permitted. Some public universities reopened for both men and women in February. But women's participation in the labour force has dropped since the Taliban takeover last summer, according to the World Bank… However, with the Taliban imposing more restrictions on women's movements outside the home since their return to power, the percentage of females working in Afghanistan shrank to 15% in 2021. An Amnesty report in July said that the Taliban had "decimated the rights of women and children" in Afghanistan. It highlighted the abuse and torture meted out to some women who had taken part in protests against the new restrictions imposed on them.”

 

Khaama Press (Afghan News Agency), MoHE to Implement New Curriculum in Accordance with Islamic Law, 12 August 2022

“the Islamic Emirate leadership has created a “directorate of academic curriculum” within the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education amid pressures by the global leaders, including international community, on Taliban to resume girls’ education… Ahmad Taqi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, said the directorate is aimed at reviewing and developing the academic curriculum of all universities across Afghanistan in light with the Islamic laws… This came at a time girls schools from grade six and above remain suspended since March this year, as the Islamic Emirate announced its leadership are developing a new educational system that is in accordance with the Islamic law.”

 

TOLO News, Over 400 Private Schools Closed Due to Economic Challenges: Union, 10 August 2022

“The union for private secondary schools said that more than 400 private schools have been closed over the last year due to economic challenges. With the closing of schools, many teachers have become jobless. “We are currently witnessing the closing of more than 400 private schools across Afghanistan,” said Zabiullah Foqani, a member of the union. “The institutions of higher education and education are in a difficult situation,” said Parwiz Khalili, a university instructor.“

 

Save the Children, One Year Under Taliban Rule, Girls are More Isolated, Hungry, Sad: New Report, 10 August 2022 “[…]

After the Taliban’s takeover last August, thousands of secondary school girls were ordered to stay home, reversing years of progress for gender equality. Girls interviewed by Save the Children expressed disappointment and anger over the fact they can no longer go to school and said they felt hopeless about their future because they don’t have the rights and freedoms they had previously.

More than 45% of girls said they’re not attending school – compared with 20% of boys – listing economic challenges, the Taliban’s ban on girls attending secondary school classes as well as community attitudes as the key barriers preventing them from accessing education.

Parishad*, 15, lives in northern Afghanistan and doesn’t go to school because her parents cannot afford to feed their children, let alone pay for her books and stationery. Her family’s situation has rapidly deteriorated in the past 12 months and they were evicted from their home because they couldn’t pay the rent. The landlord offered to buy one of Parishad’s siblings, but her parents refused.

“Some days my father cannot bring food. My brothers wake up at midnight and cry for food. I don’t eat, and I save my food for my brothers and sisters. When my brothers and sisters ask for food, I get upset and cry a lot. I go to my neighbour’s house and ask for food. Sometimes they’ll help and give me food and sometimes they say they don’t have anything to give me,” Parishad said.

“When we left our old house to come to this house, I was deeply upset and I said, ‘why are we leaving again, why are we facing these problems again?’ I was deeply angry, and it was a very difficult time and I cried. “I would love to go to school. When I see other girls going to school, I wish I could go to school too. Every month we change houses and it’s difficult for us to go to school. We also don’t have any stationery and we need money to buy books. I can’t tolerate it. I can’t do anything about it.””

 

Human Rights Watch, Economic Causes of Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis, 4 August 2022

“The Taliban have closed almost all girls’ secondary schools, depriving girls of the right to education. This and escalating poverty that has made it very hard for girls to attend the girls’ schools that remain open have heightened the risk of child marriage. Humanitarian groups and the media have reported families “selling” girls – i.e. taking cash or other compensation in exchange for their daughters for marriage, out of desperation to obtain food or repay debts.”

 

Human Rights Watch, Afghanistan: Economic Crisis Underlies Mass Hunger, 4 August 2022

“Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis cannot be effectively addressed unless the United States and other governments ease restrictions on the country’s banking sector to facilitate legitimate economic activity and humanitarian aid, Human Rights Watch said today. The US and other governments and the World Bank Group revoked the credentials of the Central Bank of Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021. […] An Afghan humanitarian official told Human Rights Watch in mid-July, […] “A functioning banking system is an immediate and crucial need to address the humanitarian crisis.” […] US and World Bank decisions to restrict Afghanistan’s banking sector have significantly amplified the crisis by hampering most legitimate economic activities, including humanitarian efforts. The Central Bank of Afghanistan is unable to carry out basic central banking functions, including holding currency auctions, importing banknotes, and processing or settling legitimate commercial and humanitarian transactions. Because of these incapacities, even basic economic activities remain severely curtailed. […]

The Taliban leadership should recognize that their poor human rights record is imperiling hopes to reach any agreements to resolve the banking crisis, Human Rights Watch said. […] Taliban authorities are reportedly prepared to accept independent monitoring of the central bank by outside auditors, a key demand of the US government and World Bank. But they continue to reject key demands from governments to remove sanctioned officials from the central bank’s leadership and to reverse their position denying secondary education to girls and women.”

 

Tolo News, Khalid Hanafi: Youth Under 18 Should Not be Enrolled in Military, 3 August 2022

“While visiting the province of Badakhshan, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, acting minister of the Ministry of Virtue and Vice, called on officials to not recruit underage youth to serve in the Islamic Emirate forces but instead should send them to madrassas (religious schools) for study. “Those who are underage should not be among the Mujahiden, and they should be removed and should be sent to madrassas to study,” he said.”

 

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), Japan supports Afghanistan in the field of education, 2 August 2022

“He (Okada Takashi, the ambassador of Japan) promised that Japan has a serious intention to help Afghanistan in the field of education.Acting Minister of Education has thanked Japan for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and said that education is the right of every Afghan citizen and the Islamic Emirate has a responsibility to provide standardized, balanced and fair services in the field of education to their countrymen with their allies.He said that the international community is obliged to extend the hand of cooperation and friendship to Afghanistan, which has come out of a 40-year crisis. Meanwhile, with the rise of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, the gates of girls' schools above the sixth grade have not yet been opened.”

 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNICEF Afghanistan Twitter, 2 August 2022

“In this tiny one-room class in Afghanistan, 3 hours from the nearest formal school, 29 girls and boys crowd together every day for their only opportunity to learn. But as they prepare to graduate primary school, they're asking, what about our younger siblings?”

 

Pajhwok, World’s support urged in reopening of Afghan girls schools, 2 August 2022

“Women rights advocacy groups on Tuesday during a gathering in Kabul renewed their demand for the reopening of girl high and secondary schools and called for giving place to ulema, qualified individuals and experts in the government. Representatives from NGOs and some organizations —- Noori Education, Development and Capacity Building Organisation, International Women Office for Peace and Freedom and Afghan Women Organisation for Peace and Freedom were present in the gathering in capital Kabul. Some teachers and students also participated in the gathering. They expressed deep concern over the closure of girls secondary and high schools and demanded their reopening. SaadiaSeerat, representative of the Noori Education, Development and Capacity Building Organisation, said: “Following the recent political developments in the country, unfortunately, the education process has been damaged more than any other sector. About a year has passed since the doors of schools have been closed to girls and girls above the sixth grade are not allowed to go to school.” She expressed concern over the closure of girls’ schools and said: “We Afghan women — teachers and students — are gathered at today’s press conference to defend women’s rights, to discuss and exchange opinions about the current deadlock.” The participants of the meeting also passed a resolution, asking the acting government to take steps for the reopening of girls schools above class sixth. The resolution states: “We ask the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to open the doors of all schools and scientific and educational centers to all girls as soon as possible… The closure of schools should not continue any longer… there is no Shariah justification for closing schools above the sixth grade for girls”. The resolution also demanded the Islamic Emirate consult ulema, qualified people and experts and gets them involved in the government for good governance. The resolution also stated: “If the girls’ schools are reopened, there is no opposition to the previous curriculum; we Afghan learners want to continue our lessons keeping in mind the Islamic principles and observing the Sharia hijab.” According to the resolution, the international community, especially the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is urged to support the demands of Afghan girls particularly their right to education.”

 

Tolo News, Students Call for Girls’ Schools to Be Reopened, 2 August 2022

“Following international calls for the reopening of girls' schools above the sixth grade, some students from schools and universities have now asked the Islamic Emirate to reopen girls' schools as soon as possible. “We ask the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to provide the opportunity of education for all the people of Afghanistan, including boys and girls,” said Khatera, the organizer of the gathering.

The gathering's organizers said in a resolution that the closing of girls' schools is not justified by Sharia and that it will do significant harm to Afghan society. "The current position of the government to close schools above the sixth grade for girls does not have any form of Sharia consideration, according to the principles of Islam," said Sadia Sirat, a student. However, some women's rights activists stated that no one would benefit from the closing of girls' schools. "Keeping the doors of schools closed is not useful for the government but has its own problems, and this leads the people of Afghanistan to lose trust in the government,” Ai Noor Uzbek, a women’s rights activist told TOLOnews. Girls' schools above sixth grade were shut down for about a year, and the Islamic Emirate has not decided whether or not to reopen them.”

 

Pajhwok, 40 people killed, wounded in Afghanistan last week, 1 August 2022

“[…] Girls’ education above 6th grade: The school year started in March this year but the same day, the government of Afghanistan postponed the opening of girls’ high and secondary schools. At the time the government said it was working on a plan and after its completion, all girls high and secondary schools would be reopened, something yet to happen. Last week, Pakistan president Arif Alvi said the Afghan girls and boys should be provided education through the internet or television, saying Pakistan would pave the way for their education through Allama Iqbal Open University and other public sector universities. The US Secretary of State once again asked the caretaker government of Afghanistan to allow secondary education for girls, and a number of religious scholars and tribal leaders of Paktia and Parwan also asked the government to allow girls above the sixth grade.”

 

Tolo News, Student Enrollment Plummets at Private Universities in Kunduz: Officials, 1 August 2022

“The Union of Private Universities in Kunduz Province said that the number of students attending private universities has dropped by 65 percent in recent months. Officials at these universities added that in seven private universities of Kunduz the total number of students was around 5,000, whereas under the previous government the number exceeded 11,000. They blame the decrease in the participation of students at private universities on the country's current situation, particularly the economic crisis. “In the past, the number of students attending universities reached 10 to 11,000, but after the political change in the country the number dropped to 4 to 5,000,” said Samiullah Danishyar, head of the Union.

Meanwhile, officials at private universities in Kunduz said that the number of female students had dropped by 70%. They warned that if the situation continues like this many of the country's private institutions will close. “If the situation continues like this up to the end of the year, with the people facing such economic challenges, around 60 to 70 of the universities will leave the market, and it is huge crisis for the education sector,” said Samiullah Danishyar, head of the Union. “We ask the Islamic Emirate to launch some programs to motivate people to get an education,” said Mubarak Shah Amiri, chancellor of a private university in Kunduz. According to some students at private universities, most of the students have left university due to economic problems and their uncertain fate. “In recent months, the number of students dropped from 40 to 10 students. If the situation continues like this, most of the students will leave universities,” said Ataullah Safi, a student. “We ask the officials to provide more facilities to the private and public universities, so that people become more interested in education,” said Imdadullah Omari, a student. Currently, seven private higher education institutions are operating in Kunduz province.”

 

AVA, Eid message issues by supreme leader of Afghanistan, 6 July 2022

"He also said that the Islamic Emirate pays special attention to the education process, especially to the education of children in terms of religion, and next to that, to education of modern sciences.

Regarding people’s complaints, he said that the Islamic Emirate has a Complaints Hearing Office under the vice and virtue ministry. In case of any injustice, people can contact the office and register their complaints. He has also directed the complaints hearing staff to take people’s complaints seriously and to follow up on them and resolve any problems.[…] Regarding the rights of citizens, Akhundzada said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to providing the rights of its fellow citizens, because according to him: “Islam has commanded us to protect and protect the rights of all people, still within the framework of the pure Sharia in the field of women’s rights. God willing, he will try.””

ATN News, Herat girls call for reopening of their schools, 6 July 2022

 

AAN, Donor's dilemma: How to provide aid to a country whose government you do not recognise, 5 July 2022

"The call for international recognition [by Taleban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in his Eid ul-Fitr message on 1 May 2022] was highlighted in the closing statement of a gathering of more than 4,000 ulema (religious leaders) and elders which was held in Kabul on 29 June to 2 July 2022. The statement, however, made no reference to reopening girls’ schools (see media reports here and here).

 

ToloNews, Students in Kabul Say They Lack Buildings, Teachers, 29 June 2022

"[…] schools in Bagrami district of Kabul. The school is named Kandosang, which lacks buildings and other resources. “We ask the Islamic Emirate to facilitate classes for us. It has been more than six years that there are no classes (buildings), no chairs, no textbooks. We want to be educated to make our country,” said Marzia, a student.Some teachers have been working as volunteers in this school to teach the students.“I come to teach here because the students have their hopes on us. They want to study,” said a teacher.

“Our students come in the morning and the sun is very hot as they finish their lessons. Many of them face health issues, such as diarrhea,” said a teacher. Some elders and officials of the school expressed criticism over the lack of attention of the former government toward education in the district. "We have a lot of shortages. The parents of the students come and see that their children are studying in an open area under the sun. The school lacks buildings,” said Gulistan Ahmadzai, headmaster of the school."

 

AVA, UNICEF continues to provide assistance to Afghanistan, 18 June 2022

“Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Ministry of Economy wrote in a tweet that the Director General of the Child Protection Organization promised to support the children of Afghanistan, especially in the educational sector.”

 

 

ToloNews, Top UNHCR Official Voices Concerns Over Closed Girls' Schools, 15 June 2022

"It has been over 270 days that the girls’ school above grade six have remained closed in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Islamic Emirate said it is working on a plan to facilitate the reopening of the schools but there has yet to be any progress in this regard."

 

Ava Press, Despite decades of war in Afghanistan, women are still stable, 14 June 2022

"Despite decades of war in Afghanistan, women remain stable," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who led a delegation to Afghanistan, meeting with a group of businesswomen. She also noted that many children, especially girls, have been deprived of education. […] The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Kylie T. Kliment tweeted today (Tuesday, June 14) that she met with a group of women from Herat province during her visit to Afghanistan. "Despite decades of war in Afghanistan, women are still stable," she wrote. She made the remarks during a visit to the Women's Trade Center in Herat. "Millions of children in Afghanistan have dropped out of school, a large percentage of whom are girls," he added. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) led a team to Afghanistan two days ago to closely monitor the situation of women, refugees and the human rights

situation in Afghanistan.”

 

Care International, Women, girls in Afghanistan hope for the return of education for all, 7 June 2022

"In Afghanistan, most schools closed as the country’s government changed in August 2021. Over the following months they gradually opened for boys in all grades, but girls above grade six have been home for nearly 10 months.

There were plans that schools would open for all high school girls at the beginning of the Persian new year in March 2022, but that did not materialize."

 

Tolo News, Schools Face Shortage of Teachers, Textbooks, Uniforms, 5 June 2022

"The students said that these challenges have affected their education. “There are no lessons in the school even if I

go to the school [...] I am also the breadwinner of the family,” said Parwiz, a student."

 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Global Annual Results Report 2021 GOAL AREA 2 Every child learns, 1 June 2022

"Millions of children living in extreme poverty, hunger, and amidst conflicts, such as in Afghanistan, Haiti and Lebanon, were faced with new emergencies within existing crises […] In 2021, there were a total of 14 countries in need of Level 2 and Level 3 emergency responses.52 Out of the five Level 3 emergencies, the pandemic continued to be the most far-reaching with 153 of UNICEF programme countries and territories impacted heavily. Other Level 3 emergencies in 2021 included crises in Afghanistan […] The political transition in Afghanistan in mid-2021 resulted in an estimated 9.7 million children in need of humanitarian assistance, and now it threatens the learning and livelihoods for millions of children, especially girls. After the takeover by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan in August 2021, UNICEF prioritized support to the community-based education (CBE) programme, which resulted in the establishment of 6,456 new CBEs, bringing the total number of CBEs to 7,604 operating across the country, 680 of which are in areas in the south where children have not had access to primary (formal) education for the past two decades. By the year’s end, CBE classes were providing access to learning for 245,995 children (53 per cent girls) […]

In Afghanistan, despite the challenges faced during the year, interventions improving the quality of education in the areas of teacher development and learning assessment continued to be supported. In total, 513 academic supervisors received training on new skills of supervision and mentorship, and technical assistance was provided to the Ministry of Education for the development of standardized test items as part of the roll-out of the National Assessment Framework for Afghanistan (NAFA). In addition, 804 teachers (150 females) were trained on conducting diagnostic learning assessment and tailoring remedial support for low-performing students."

 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Global Annual Results Report 2021 Gender Equality, 1 June 2022

"In Afghanistan, millions of girls are being denied access to schools. With outsize repercussions on women and girls, climate change threats have multiplied and there have been escalating political and socioeconomic tensions in fragile settings, amplifying gender inequalities and compromising health, livelihoods and safety […] In

Afghanistan, education access for disadvantaged girls was ramped up through over 7,000 community-based education classes that benefited almost 240,000 students (over 50 per cent girls)."

 

Tolo News, Schools in Uruzgan Lack Buildings, Students Learn in Open Air, 29 May 2022

“Residents of Uruzgan province say that due to the lack of school buildings, students from the province's more

than 30 schools continue their education in the open.”

 

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Afghanistan: Taliban confirms gender-based persecution, 24 March 2022

“The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) strongly condemns the decision by the Taliban to keep girls’ secondary schools (i.e. above grade 6) indefinitely closed. This decision was confirmed by the Taliban yesterday, on the very day schools were supposed to re-open after a seven-month hiatus. While the Ministry of Education had said that all schools, including girls’ high schools, would re-open at the start of the spring semester on 23 March

2022, yesterday’s decision comes as no surprise considering its consistency with the Taliban’s ideology and disregard for the Afghan population, exemplified by its violent overthrow of the elected government of Afghanistan in August 2021.”

 

United Nations Security Council, Security Council Press Statement on Situation in Afghanistan, 24 May 2022

"The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern regarding the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban, including through imposition of restrictions that limit access to education, employment, freedom of movement, and women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in public life, and emphasized that these restrictions contradict the expectations of the international community and the commitments made by the Taliban to the Afghan people.

They also reiterated their call on the Taliban to adhere to their commitments to reopen schools for all female students without further delay."

 

Tolo News, Haqqani: 'We Are Not Forcing Women to Wear Hijab', 18 May 2022

"The acting Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said that soon good news will be heard about the education of girls and that a mechanism is being developed in this regard."

 

BBC News, Afghanistan: The secret girls school defying the Taliban, 18 May 2022

"Primary schools for girls have reopened under the Taliban, and have in fact seen a rise in attendance following the improvement in security in rural parts of the country, but it's not clear when or if older girls will be allowed back into class. The Taliban have said the correct "Islamic environment" needs to be created first, though given schools were already segregated by gender, no-one seems sure what that means. Now, multiple sources told the BBC, a handful of hardline but highly influential individuals in the group appear to still be opposed to it. In private, other Taliban members have expressed their disappointment at the decision not to open girls' schools. The Taliban's Ministry of Education seemed as surprised as anyone when the leadership overruled their plans in March, and some senior Taliban officials are understood to be educating their daughters in Qatar or Pakistan. In recent weeks, a number of religious scholars with links to the Taliban have issued fatwas, or religious decrees supporting girls' right to learn."

 

Ariana News, IEA says girls’ schools will reopen soon, 16 May 2022

"Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), and deputy minister of the IEA’s Ministry of Information and Culture, said progress has been made at a meeting of religious scholars and girls’ schools would reopen soon. Speaking to reporters in Kabul on Sunday Mujahid said: “Good progress has been made at the meeting of the country’s scholars regarding the reopening of girls’ schools and other major political issues, and girls’ schools will be reopened in the near future.” He said that the meeting, attended by tribal leaders and influential people of the country, is focusing on major political, security and social issues. “The Ulema are consulting on the reopening of girls’ schools, and progress will be made soon,” said Mujahid. Meanwhile, Anas

Haqqani, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate, said on Wednesday that a meeting of religious scholars would be held to discuss the issue of girls going to school. Officials at the Ministry of Education of the Islamic Emirate have said that they will reopen girls’ schools in the near future within the framework of Islamic principles."

 

Tolo News, 15 Foreign Ministers Issue Statement on Afghan Women's Rights, 15 May 2022

"The Foreign Ministers of 15 countries in a statement expressed their ‘deep’ concerns over restrictions on girls’

access to education in Afghanistan and called on the “Taliban to respect the right to education and adhere to their commitments to reopen schools for all female students.” The statement was issued by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States. Meanwhile, the US envoy for Afghanistan human rights and women, Rina Amiri, in an interview with the DW also voiced concerns over the restrictions being imposed by the current Afghan government on women. “The Afghan women expect the Taliban to focus on the security and facilitation of a good life for the people and not to interfere in the normal life of people,” said Farah Mustafavi, a women’s rights activist. But the Islamic Emirate denied the restrictions on the women. “We deny such claims about the violation of women’s rights. The Islamic Emirate protect the rights of all Afghan citizens,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate. Earlier, the US Department of State said that it has leverage to use against the Islamic Emirate if there was no revision in its policy regarding women."

 

BBC News, Afghanistan pupils in fear after spate of Islamic State attacks, 13 May 2022

"Milad, and most of the residents in his neighbourhood, Dashte-e-Barchi, are members of the Shia Hazara minority. The area has been repeatedly attacked by the local branch of the Islamic State group, who are suspected of being behind the bombing at Milad's school.

 

"I was in the classroom about to leave when the explosion happened. We crouched down on the floor with our hands on our heads," Milad told the BBC. The school opened up straight after the attack, but some pupils are yet to return, their families too afraid. Headteacher Ghulam Haider Hussaini told the BBC he was determined not to allow the violence to deter his students."

 

Al Jazeera, Afghan students run underground book club to keep dreams alive, 9 May 2022

"Immediately after coming to power, the Taliban promised women’s rights and freedom of the press. But nine months since the takeover, high schools for girls remain closed and public spaces shrinking for Afghan women as the group has expanded curbs."

"The risk of running a book club is tremendous amid increasing restrictions on women, with girls above the age of 12 no longer allowed to go to school and universities forced to segregate classes."

 

ToloNews, Schooling Facilitated for 1000s of Children in Logar: MoE, 8 May 2022

"The residents of Logar said that many children are deprived of schooling due to lack of access. “There was war previously. Many children couldn’t go to school. All of them have been deprived of an education,” said Mohammad Jamshid, Zarinzoi."

 

Tolo News, UNICEF Concerned by Impact of School Ban on Girls' Learning, 4 May 2022

“The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is concerned about the impact on girls' learning from the decision to ban schooling for females over the sixth grade, a senior UNICEF official said. Same Mort, chief of Communication, Advocacy and Civic Engagement in Afghanistan, said the closing of schools will affect the mental health of the female students. “One month since the new term started for some children but not all children in Afghanistan, UNICEF is deeply concerned by the impact of this decision on girls learning--on their mental health and on their ability to contribute to the Afghan economy into the future,” she said. Mort said the UNICEF is supporting education in Afghanistan. “When girls are out of school, they are much more susceptible to early marriage and child labor. They are much more likely to be victims of exploitation and abuse, that is why UNICEF continues to advocate to get all children into school and learning at all levels in all regions,” she said.

Meanwhile, Shamayil Tawana, a female rights activist, urged the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for girls beyond grade six. “All Afghans demanded the Taliban reopen the schools and not deprive Afghan girls from their Sharia rights,” she said. The Ministry of Education said that the reopening of school for girls is an important issue for the Islamic Emirate. “This issue is important for the Islamic Emirate as much as it is important for the international

community. The meetings are underway about this,” said Aziz Ahmad Riyan, a spokesman for the ministry. The closure of schools for girls above grade six triggered reactions at the national and international levela. However, officials of the current government said the problem will be solved soon.”

 

Pajhwok, Girls’ schools to be reopened soon: Anas Haqqani, 4 May 2022

“KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Anas Haqqani, a member of the Islamic Emirate’s Qatar office, on Wednesday said girls’ schools would be opened […]”

 

Tolo News, Schools in Balkh Lack Teachers, Textbooks: Officials, 3 May 2022

“Officials at the education department in Balkh said that province schools lack about 1,500 professional teachers, and also textbooks. Based on figures of the department, over 500,000 boys and girls are educated in 600 schools across Balkh province, where all schools are open. […] Abdul Jalil Shaheedkhil, head of the education department. He added that local officials in Balkh province have taken steps to remove the challenges and bring reform to the education system. “We recognized 95% of imaginary teachers (non-existent teachers on the payroll) in Balkh province, which is a great achievement to save the budget of the Islamic Emirate,” said Abdul Jalil Shaheedkhil.

Although some schools remained without buildings in Balkh province, and the lack of textbooks is another challenge ahead of students, they still hope to complete their education. “It improves our country, when we come to classes. Men are not the only people who can build the country, women also able take part in the improvement of the country,” said Frishta, a student.”

 

Tolo News, Afghan Girls Banned From School Suffer Psychologically: Experts, 3 May 2022

“Female students above grade six say the closing of their schools is causing them mental health trouble. The students said they are counting the seconds until school will be reopened. Saeeda, a student in grade 10, said she dreams of being a doctor in the future. Saeeda said she is afraid to not reach her dreams now because girls beyond grade six are not allowed to go to school. “I am very disappointed that the schools were not reopened. It is the right of every girl to have access to education,” said Saeeda, a student in grade 10. “We seriously don’t know what type of situation this is. We should go to school to make our future,” said Setayish, a student. Psychologists say

that the banning of these girls from school is causing mental stress. “When someone likes something and is prevented from doing it, it causes mental stress and anxiety. The girls who like education and are not allowed to engage in it, it causes them mental pressure,” said Jamshid Rasa, a psychologist. Sociologists said banning girls from education can pave the ground for early and forced marriages in the country. “The banning of girls from going to secondary and high school will cause a surge in forced marriage,” said Bahauddin Baqayi, a sociologist.”

 

Ariana News, IEA unveils segregation plan for male and female university students, 24 April 2022

“The Ministry of Higher Education of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has announced that male and female

students will be segregated and attend lectures on alternate days of the week.”

 

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), IEA Separates Weekdays for Male, Female University Students, 24 April 2022

“Ministry of Higher Education of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan separated weekdays of male and female students of universities in Kabul University and Kabul Polytechnic University in a bid to further end co-education.”

 

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), Some kidnappers killed in raid to rescue Rauf: Mujahid, 24 April 2022

“Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Two years ago, Rauf, 11, was kidnapped while he was on his way to school in -e- Sharif, the capital city of northern province. The child was rescued on Saturday and handed over to his family by Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Salam.”

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan – Terrorist attacks, 22 April 2022

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attacks of April 19 and 21 on schools in Kabul as well as yesterday’s attacks on the Seh Dokan mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif and in Kunduz province. These attacks, for which Daesh (IS-K) claimed responsibility, killed several dozen people and wounded more than a hundred, including young children.”

 

Human Rights Watch (Afghanistan), A Bleak Future with Education Under Attack in Afghanistan, 20 April 2022 “Multiple bomb blasts on April 19 outside a high school and an education center in Kabul’s Dasht-e Barchi neighborhood left at least six people dead and twenty wounded, including children, and casualties could be much higher. This is just the latest assault on education in Afghanistan, which have traumatized families and dimmed hopes for their children’s future.”

 

Khaama Press (Afghan News Agency), Girls’ Schools not Aligned with Sharia Law: IEA Reasoned behind Schools Closure, 20 April 2022

“Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan disclosed the core reason behind girls’ schools’ closure adding that the secondary schools’ girls were not aligned with the Sharia law. Deputy chief of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) of the IEA Moulayee Rahmatullah Najib said that girls’ schools in Afghanistan have problems with Sharia law, the curriculum is in opposition to Sharia law and jurisprudence, and that the way Afghan girls would go to schools was in opposition with Sharia and Afghan culture/tradition.”

Khaama Press (Afghan News Agency), Qatar, Turkey Condemn Kabul Blasts on School, 20 April 2022

“Foreign Ministries of Qatar and Turkey in their respective press release condemned the terrorist attack on a secondary school in the west of Kabul adding the attack will have a negative impact on human rights in the country. “We condemn these inhuman terrorist attacks in the strongest possible terms,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in the press release.”

 

UN news, Afghanistan: UN condemns deadly blasts at two schools in Kabul, 19 April 2022

“Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, issued a statement strongly condemning the “horrific” attacks. “Violence in or around schools is never acceptable. For the people of Afghanistan, already beleaguered by forty years of war, schools should be safe havens, and places where children can learn and flourish,” he said. Mr. Alakbarov underlined that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.”

 

Amnesty International (Afghanistan), Afghanistan: School bombings a ‘reprehensible attack’ on religious and ethnic minorities, 19 April 2022

“A series of bomb blasts today in Abdul Rahim Shaheed High School and near the Mumtaz Education Center, both of which are located within the predominately Hazara Shiite neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi in West Kabul, killed six and injured at least 11 others, including children.”

 

Norwegian Refugee Council (Afghanistan), Afghanistan: Statement on the deadly bombing of a boys’ high school in Kabul, 19 April 2022

“Afghanistan has been one of the deadliest and most challenging countries for children to receive an education for way too long. Insecurity, direct attacks, poverty, and the recent suspension of girls’ return to secondary school have robbed thousands of students of their basic rights to learning over the past decades.

We call for full access to education for all students in Afghanistan – girls and boys alike. Children need to be provided with a safe environment and protected from facing deadly threats while pursuing their dreams of a better future.”

 

Pajhwok Afghan News, 40pc of Takhar schools without buildings: Official, 13 April 2022

“Forty percent of schools in northern Takhar province are without buildings, hampering the education of as many

as 30,000 students [...]”

 

US DOS, 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Afghanistan, 12 April 2022

“The expansion of Taliban control in rural areas before the group’s takeover left an increasing number of public schools outside of pre-August 15 government control. The Taliban operated an “education commission” in parallel to the pre-August 15 Ministry of Education. Although their practices varied among areas, some schools under Taliban control reportedly allowed teachers to continue teaching but banned certain subjects and replaced them with Islamic studies; others provided only religious education, and only for male students.

In September the Taliban announced it would review subjects to be taught to ensure compliance with the Taliban interpretation of sharia, while also committing in October and November not to change the curriculum to a madrassa-style education. Public universities did not open for the academic year starting in September and

remained closed as of December. […] UNICEF reported that approximately 3.7 million children, 60 percent of them girls, were not in school due to discrimination, poverty, lack of access, continuing conflict, and restrictions on girls’ access to education in Taliban-controlled areas, among other reasons. Under the pre-August 15 government, only an estimated 16 percent of the country’s schools were for girls, and many of them lacked proper sanitation

facilities. Key obstacles to girls’ education included poverty, early and forced marriage, insecurity, a lack of family support, lack of female teachers, and a lack of nearby schools.

An education director in Jawzjan Province said in March that Taliban militants stopped an estimated 20,000 female students from studying beyond sixth grade. Even before their takeover of Kabul, in Taliban-controlled districts within the provinces of Kunar, Helmand, Logar, and Zabul, the Taliban had largely prohibited women and girls from attending school as provincial education officials attempted in vain to negotiate with the Taliban for girls to have access to education. Violent attacks on schoolchildren, particularly girls, hindered their access to education, particularly in areas controlled by the Taliban. The Taliban and other extremists threatened and attacked school officials, teachers, and students, particularly girls, and burned both boys’ and girls’ schools. In February Taliban

militants set fire to a girls’ school in Takhar Province, burning all equipment, books, and documents. There were reports that both insurgent groups and government forces used school buildings for military purposes. School buildings were damaged, and students were injured in Taliban attacks on nearby government facilities.

Following their takeover, the Taliban severely restricted or prohibited female education across all age levels, citing a need to ensure proper facilities were in place for segregated education in line with the Taliban’s interpretation of sharia. The Taliban’s lack of a clear education policy regarding women’s ability to teach and girls’ ability to attend schools, combined with nonpayment of teachers’ salaries, led to low enrollment rates even where schools were open. In September the Taliban stated that girls would be able to go to school in line with Islamic law, without further clarifying how it would respect their access to education. According to UNICEF, the Taliban instructed primary schools in late August to reopen for both girls and boys. On September 18, the new Taliban ministry of education issued a statement resuming secondary education for boys but gave no indication as to when girls might return to classes. As of December schools in nine of the country’s 34 provinces – Balkh, Jawzjan, Samangan, Kunduz, Urozgan, Ghazni, Faryab, Zabul, and Herat – had allowed girls to attend secondary school before closing for the winter break, according to UNICEF and other reports. In December the Taliban asserted that this number had grown to 12 provinces and pledged that all girls could return to school in March 2022 after the break. As of December all public universities remained closed. Several private, all-female universities reopened for fall classes in October. Taliban leaders stated they were committed to allowing girls and women access to education through the postgraduate level, although only in accordance with their interpretation of sharia and within the confines of Afghan culture, which includes segregation of genders and strict behavioral and dress codes.

On November 16, the head of the so-called Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated there was no theological basis in Islam for preventing girls and women from having access to all levels of

education. Other Taliban representatives expressed the group’s intent to provide educational access at all levels to women and girls. At year’s end many Afghan girls remained excluded from the educational system.”

 

Ariana News, IEA should engage with Afghan politicians: Muslimyar, 8 April 2022

“Muslimyar [Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, former head of Afghanistan’s upper house of parliament] said that the closure of

girls’ schools is a disappointing decision and IEA should prioritize people’s demands.

“Closure of schools is a disappointing decision. I as an Afghan call on Taliban (IEA) to allow education based on

Islamic system and our principles and [IEA] should prioritize people,” he said.

This comes after the IEA recently established a commission to invite Afghan politicians who fled the country after the IEA took control to return home.”

 

UNOCHA, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

Martin Griffiths’ opening remarks at the High-level Pledging Event for Afghanistan, 31 March 2022

“Many humanitarian donors rightly point to the need for the de facto Taliban authorities to play their part and again we have heard this today. Many are especially frustrated by the recent decision to restrict access to education for girls and I completely share this frustration, as we all do.”

 

UNAMA, Security Council Press Statement on Afghanistan, 28 March 2022

“The members of the Security Council heard a briefing on 25 March by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, regarding the right to education for all Afghans, including girls. The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern regarding the reported decision by the Taliban to deny girls above the 6th grade access to education in Afghanistan. They reaffirmed the right to education for all Afghans, including girls, and called on the Taliban to respect the right to education and adhere to their

commitments to reopen schools for all female students without further delay.”

 

UNICEF, Girls in Afghanistan must go back to school without any further delays, 23 March 2022 [Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell]

“‘The de facto authorities’ decision to delay the return to school for girls from Grade 7 to Grade 12 is a major setback for girls and their futures. [...]”

 

UNAMA, STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL - ON AFGHANISTAN, 23 March 2022

“[...] today’s announcement by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan that girls’ education from the sixth grade has been suspended until further notice. The start of the new school year has been anticipated by all students, girls and boys, and parents and families. The de facto authorities’ failure to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade, despite repeated commitments, is a profound disappointment and deeply damaging for Afghanistan. The denial of education not only violates the equal rights of women and girls to education, it also jeopardizes the country’s future in view of the tremendous contributions by Afghan women and girls.”

 

Juris, Afghanistan dispatch: new restrictions imposed on students and faculty at Afghan universities, 15 March 2022

“The Taliban-led Ministry of Higher Education has recently re-opened the doors of universities to students and professors after nearly seven months of closure. However, this is contingent on students and universities across Afghanistan adhering to a set of new rules and procedures that violate freedom of speech. The Ministry of Higher Education’s new procedure is in direct contravention of existing Afghan laws and regulations. The procedure, in particular, prohibits students and professors from discussing or publishing information about their universities to local and foreign media. They are not permitted to speak to the media about academic obstacles or the learning environment. The procedure applies to both governmental and private universities. Previously, private universities were ordered to implement new policies that separated male and female students, required male professors to teach only male students and female professors to teach only female students, and allowed old male professors to enter female classrooms in the absence of female professors. It seems that all of the above is now codified in one procedure and sent to public universities across Afghanistan. Additionally, students from Baghlan and Badakhshan universities also tell local media that they are instructed not to use smartphones inside the university compound. Kunduz and Al Biruni university professors have also been warned not to share anything on social media. Kabul university students and professors are also instructed to comply with the above. The education sector of Afghanistan has been adversely affected since the seizure of power by the Taliban in August last year. A large

number of professors either left their jobs or left Afghanistan for a safer country. With this being said, there are reports that the number of students in both public and private universities have considerably decreased. Local media report that higher education in private universities is actually on the verge of collapse due to the absence of professors as well as students.”

 

IOM (DTM), Afghanistan - Baseline Mobility and Community Based Needs Assessment (November-December 2021), 11 March 2022

“Four out of five children (84%) in Kandahar do not go to school.”

 

The Guardian , ‘Robbed of hope’: Afghan girls denied an education struggle with depression, 10 March 2022

“As female students are denied schooling and career prospects, medical staff warn of a rise in mental health problems.Since August, secondary school girls from grade 7 and up have effectively been banned from education. While the Taliban claims the restrictions are temporary, saying they want to create the right Islamic environment for girls to learn, Afghanistan remains the world’s only country where girls are barred from education. While the overall sales of antidepressants and sleeping pills have gone down, the number of women buying such medication has increased. [...] Teachers and activists have already opened ad hoc schools, similar to the secret schools of the previous 1996 to 2001 Taliban regime. Gatherings are mostly held in people’s homes.”

 

Borgen Magazine, How UNICEF is Funding Afghanistan’s Teachers, 10 March 2022

“UNICEF is beginning to provide stipends of $100 to around 194,000 of Afghanistan’s teachers. The economic restrictions Afghanistan is navigating have caused many public-sector workers to lose their income, with one of the most-impacted groups being teachers. The UNICEF support will last two months, as the funding is “emergency funding.” However, if Afghanistan’s government does not find a way to resume salaries for teachers the funding may extend. UNICEF has said that it will require an additional $250 million to continue funding. Still, the work of teachers is vital and they have the determination to find the funding. UNICEF’s assistance will verify each teacher’s identity to check their payment statuses and to monitor the effectiveness of the financing to see what needs more help. It might not seem like a lot, but $100 is more than the teachers have been earning for four months. When teachers are not struggling to obtain basic needs for daily life, it will revitalize the attentiveness needed for teaching. UNICEF’s funding can guarantee Afghanistan’s teachers can work to bring high-quality education to them and break cyclical poverty.”

 

OHCHR, Interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on Afghanistan, 7 March 2022

“The de facto authorities have indicated that children of all ages – girls and boys - will return to school in the new solar year that commences later this month. Nation-wide implementation of this commitment at all levels of education is urgent and essential to ensure that all children have equal access to quality education.”

 

UNAMA, Briefing to the United Nations Security Council by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ms. Deborah Lyons, 2 March 2022

“They [the Taliban] also point to public universities being reopened and their desire to see Afghans, all boys and all girls, educated to a high international standard. On this issue, the Minister of Education recently stated that the plan to reopen schools for girls and boys had been finalized and is now awaiting cabinet approval. We all anticipate with great hope and determination the reponing of the schools on 22 March.”

 

Al Jazeera, In remote Bamiyan, a school run by an Afghan woman offers hope, 22 February 2022

“The school runs for two hours daily in the morning offering an opportunity to the impoverished community at a time the country has been facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.”

““The community suggested gathering the children and teaching them basic English, Dari, maths, geography and the holy Quran,” Freshta, who only gave one name, told Al Jazeera.

“It became something bigger, year after year,” the 22-year-old, who started the school at the age of 12, said, adding that students, ranging from ages four to 17, mostly come from the cave village of 50 families.

Freshta is the only teacher and her work is voluntary. She sometimes received donations from occasional visitors from the capital Kabul, but the school has survived thanks to her hard work.

Freshta is the only teacher and her work is voluntary. She sometimes received donations from occasional visitors from the capital Kabul, but the school has survived thanks to her hard work.

The worsening economic situation has hit hard the village of the young teacher, who said most people are

unemployed now. “This has been the biggest change here, in the past months,” she said.

Freshta plans to find a job as a midwife as her father has struggled to make ends meet. She often also sells self- embroidered handkerchiefs in the local baazar to earn extra income.

 

UNICEF, UNICEF provides support to all public school teachers in Afghanistan for 2 months, 20 February 2022 “[...] As part of efforts to ensure all school-age girls and boys in Afghanistan go to school and learn, UNICEF and partners are providing emergency cash support to all public education teachers for the months of January and February. The EU-funded payment – amounting to the equivalent of $100 a month in Afghani, per teacher, male

and female, will benefit an estimated 194,000 public school teachers nationwide in recognition of their crucial role in the education of millions of children in Afghanistan. The teachers include all those from public Primary and Secondary schools Technical & Vocational Institutions and Teachers’ Training Centres. [...]”

 

Khaama Press, Europe pledges $11 M to Afghanistan’s educational sector, 16 February 2022

“Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that European representatives pledged $11 million to Afghanistan’s educational sector and added that the money will increase based on the needs. [...]”

 

AVA Press, IEA meets with EU delegates to discuss wide range of issues, including education, 16 February 2022 “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) delegation led by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Tuesday with the European Union representatives in Doha, Qatar, to discuss a number of issues including the right to education for women. Special Envoy of the for Afghanistan, said in a series of tweets that the Afghan delegation referred to the opening of universities for men and women and its commitment to reopening primary and secondary schools for boys and girls no later than March – across the country.”

 

TOLO News, No High School Graduates in 5 Paktika Districts in 20 Years, 13 February 2022

“There have been no high school graduates in the past 20 years in five districts of the southeastern province of Paktika, tribal elders said, saying the lack of high schools and the poor education system are the reasons thousands of youth are deprived of an education. According to the students of these districts, the families who are in a good economic condition send their children to the provincial capital city, Sharana, to continue their schools but those families struggling with severe economic conditions are unable to send their children to the capital for continuing education. The districts Worombai, Tarwi, Dila Khoshamand, Naka and Barmal are where the education system was not properly active due to security tensions during the former Afghan governments. “No school has been constructed in our district. Our youth migrated to other countries,” said Zahid, a student in Barmal district. “There was no school in Khoshamand district during the former government's time. The Islamic Emirate should construct us a school,’ said Mohammad Daud, a student in Khoshamand district. The tribal elders called on the Islamic Emirate to construct schools and provide educational opportunities for the residents of these districts. “We don’t have any high school graduates in far areas and some districts of Paktika. We call on the Islamic Emirate officials to construct schools for us,” said Abdul Rahim, a tribal elder in Khoshamand. The provincial education department confirmed the issue, saying that there were no high school graduations in the past 20 years in these districts. “Our focus is currently on the areas that lack absolute access to this right (education), we try to provide them their rights in a proper way,” said the head of the Paktika education department.”

 

Afghanistan Analysts Network, Who Gets to Go to School? (3): Are Taleban attitudes starting to change from within? 7 February 2022

“In the last of our three reports on the Taleban and education, especially of girls, we turn to what seems to be a

relatively new trend. Guest author Sabawoon Samim* has been looking at views of girls’ education within the

Taleban movement and finds it notable that some Taleban are now seeking out school and even university education for their sons and their daughters. He looks at how and why a significant membership of a group that banned girls’ education when it was last in power appears to be changing its attitude towards schooling. The series editor is Kate Clark.”

 

Deutsche Welle (Afghanistan), How serious are the Taliban about full education for girls?, 31 January 2022

“Girls and young women in Afghanistan are supposed to be able to go to school again as of March [2022], according to Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban government spokesman and deputy culture and information minister. However, education for girls and women is a "question of capacity," Mujahid told The Associated Press earlier this month. "We are trying to solve these problems by the coming year so that schools and universities can open." He made it clear that girls and boys would have to be completely segregated in schools. He added that the biggest obstacle is finding or building enough dorms, or hostels, where girls could stay while going to school. In heavily populated areas, he said, it wasn't enough to have separate classrooms for boys and girls — separate school buildings were needed. […] However, the Taliban have always stressed two basic conditions — gender segregation in schools as well as in public life, and the curriculum must conform to the Taliban's religious beliefs, she said, adding that statements to that effect have been kept very vague. "And that seems to be the crux of the matter — girls will probably be able to go to school, the only question is what they will learn there," she said.

Kambiz Ghawami, executive chairman of the German Committee of the World University Service, which advocates education worldwide, is also skeptical about open education policies under the Taliban. The Taliban have said more than once that education is not necessary, Ghawami told DW, adding that in particular for girls and young women the educational situation is bleak. Teachers have not been paid for months, he said, so most of them have turned their backs on the profession to make money elsewhere. […] According to recent UN statistics, eight million children are currently not going to school, girls as well as boys.”

 

Afghanistan Analysts Network, Who Gets to Go to School? (1): What people told us about education since the Taleban took over, 26 January 2022

“This series looks at schools (maktabs), rather than madrassas, which impart religious education. In literature and discourse, school education is often referred to as ‘secular’ or ‘modern’. These terms are not used in this series of reports unless in quotations: given the extensive religious syllabus of Afghan schools, they are hardly secular, while calling schools’ modern’ implicitly downgrades madrassa education as ‘backwards’ or, more positively,

‘traditional’. [...] There is also the question of when and if new schools will open or higher grades added for boys and girls where they do not yet exist. The desire for more Afghan children to have the opportunity to go to school seems likely to increase, and not only because this is where the historical tendency is pushing. The end of the conflict means it is now feasible to open schools in districts previously wracked by conflict or isolated by war from government services. All eyes are now on Nawruz, the spring equinox and the start of the new Afghan year of 1401 and, in most provinces, the new school year: Will the Taleban government allow all the nation’s schools to reopen and all schoolchildren to return to class, including older girls?”

 

OHCHR, OHCHR | Afghanistan: Taliban attempting to steadily erase women and girls from public life – UN experts, 17 January 2022

“Taliban leaders in Afghanistan are institutionalizing large scale and systematic gender-based discrimination and violence against women and girls, a group of UN human rights experts* said today. [...]

Of particular and grave concern is the continued denial of the fundamental right of women and girls to secondary and tertiary education, on the premise that women and men have to be segregated and that female students abide by a specific dress code. As such, the vast majority of girls’ secondary schools remain closed and the majority of girls who should be attending grades 7-12 are being denied access to school, based solely on their gender.”

 

Khaama Press, Schools and universities to reopen in March this year: Mujahid, 16 January 2022

“Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah

Mujahid said that schools and universities for girls and boys will reopen in the upcoming new solar year-March

2022.

Speaking with Associated Press on Saturday, January 16, 2022, Zabiullah Mujahid said that the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education are working hard to reopen higher schools and public universities in two months.

The spokesman said that higher schools in most of the provinces have been reopened and in some provinces, they are still closed due to economic issues.

He reiterated that girls and boys will be separated in classrooms and they are working to build more hostels for girls around Afghanistan.

It has been nearly six months that 150 public universities have been closed across Afghanistan while in 40 private universities boys and girls study.

Girls are only allowed to attend classed up to sixth grade in public schools.”

 

AVA Press, Female Students in Baghlan Want Access to Education, 19 December 2021

“Abdul Raqib , the head of education in Baghlan province, assured that the entrance exams for female students, even though schools are closed, adding that they are trying to make the entrance exam more transparent for students. However, despite the repeated demands and protests of , the doors of girls’ schools are still closed. With the rise of the Taliban, the doors of girls ‘and boys’ schools were closed, but after about forty days, the boys ‘and girls’ schools below the sixth grade were reactivated. Since then, however, girls in high school have not been able to go to school.”

 

TOLO News, UN Calls for More Action, Clarity for Afghan Women's Rights, 14 December 2021

Citing UNICEF findings, she said that of 4.2 million Afghan children already out of school, 60% are girls, and nearly 9 million children are at risk of being deprived of an education because teachers’ salaries are not being paid and schools are being closed.

 

BBC News, Afghanistan: Girls' despair as Taliban confirm secondary school ban, 8 December 2021

“BBC interviews with students and headteachers in 13 provinces show girls' frustration at still being barred from secondary school, despite assurances from the Taliban that they would be able to resume their studies "as soon as possible".

Teachers, nearly all of whom had not been paid since June, said the situation was affecting girls' wellbeing, with one blaming the closures for the underage marriage of three of her students.

One headteacher from Kabul, who stays in touch with her students via Whatsapp, said: "The students are really upset, they're suffering mentally. I try to give them hope but it's hard because they are exposed to so much sadness and disappointment."

Teachers also reported a worrying drop in attendance among girls in primary schools, who have been allowed to return. They said that increased poverty and security concerns meant families were reluctant to send younger girls to school.”

 

AVA Press, Reopening of Girls’ Schools Requires a New Procedure, Says Taliban, 8 December 2021

“The girls will not be allowed to attend school until a new policy is approved in the New Year,” said Ministry of

Education officials.

“The current situation is a temporary delay,” said acting Deputy Education Minister Abdul Hakim in an interview

with the BBC today Wednesday, December 8.

According to him, this situation will continue until a new guideline above the sixth grade is created and approved for female students, adding that the Taliban is creating a safe environment for girls to go to school.

Meanwhile, the girls’ schools above the sixth grade were still closed since the Taliban came to power. The Taliban have repeatedly reassured people that they will reopen girls’ schools, however, now that the school year is over, they have not reopened.

In the meantime, this situation worries the citizens and the families of the . They believe the Taliban have no plans to reopen schools and that girls’ schools may be closed in the New Year.”

AVA Press, Malala Yousafzai Calls on US to Support Afghan Girls and Women, 7 December 2021

“Malala Yousafzai, a human rights defender and Nobel laureate, called on the United States to support and girls.

According to [sic], Afghan women and girls need support more than ever.

Malala Yousafzai made the remarks during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony on Monday, December 6. Afghanistan is the only country where girls do not have access to education and are deprived of this right, she stressed.

The human rights defender delivered a 15-year-old Afghan girl’s letter to the US president and read the message of Afghan girls.

“This is the message of Afghan girls now,” said. “We want to see a world where all girls can have access to safe and quality education.”

In the meantime, reading part of the Afghan girl’s letter, she said that the longer schools and remain closed, the less hope they have for the future.

“Educating girls is a powerful tool for building peace and security in Afghanistan,” Malala read the letter. Yousafzai expressed hope that the US, along with the [sic], would take immediate action to ensure that Afghan girls return to their schools as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Malala emphasized the need to focus on girls’ education and the opening of schools, saying that with the fall of the previous government, the Taliban had banned girls from entering the sixth grade to twelfth grade. Although the interim government of the Taliban has repeatedly promised to reopen girls’ schools, this promise has not yet been fulfilled.”

 

TOLO News, Students, Teachers Call On Govt to Open Girls’ Schools, 7 December 2021

“After the collapse of former government, schoolgirls from grade 7 to 12 have been allowed to continue their studies in eight provinces of Afghanistan.

Several school-aged girls in the northeastern province of Kunar have called for the reopening of schools for girls grades 7-12 in the province.

They urged the new government to let girls continue their education in Kunar, as they have been allowed in some other provinces. [...]

Along with students, a number of teachers and tribal elders in Kunar province claimed that the Islamic Emirate is behaving inconistently toward Afghan students across Afghanistan. [...]

Meanwhile, the head of the education department in Kunar province, Mawllawi Muhebullah Haidari, said the department is prepared to reopen schools for girls if they receive permission.

“We ask elders ( government leaders) to give permission, we are ready to open the schools,” said Haidari. Based on the reports, nearly 70.000 girls are attending in Kunar’s schools.

After the collapse of former government, schoolgirls from grade 7 to 12 have been allowed to continue their

studies in eight provinces of Afghanistan. Schools in the remaining provinces are still shut.”

 

UNICEF, Humanitarian Action for Children 2022 Overview, 6 December 2021

“Recent political developments have greatly exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The volatile situation has heightened the underlying vulnerabilities in the country, where 24.4 million, including 12.6 million children are already in need of humanitarian assistance. Child protection risks remain high with continued insecurity and attacks against civilians, and families are resorting to child marriage and child labor to cope with the socioeconomic deterioration. Over 10 million school-aged children need education assistance, in addition to the

4.2 million children already out of school.”

 

OCHA, Global Humanitarian Overview 2022 (Part Two), 2 December 2021

“Conflict and COVID-19 have also interrupted schooling for more than 9.3 million children since 2020.”

 

AP News, Unique effort reopens girls’ schools in an Afghan province, 1 December 2021

“When the Taliban seized power in August, most schools were closed because of COVID-19. Under heavy

international pressure, the Taliban soon reopened schools for girls in grades 1-6, along with boys’ schools at all levels. But they have not allowed girls in grades 7-12 to return, saying they must first ensure classes are held in an “Islamic manner.” The Taliban also barred most women from government jobs, their largest place of employment. [...]

Herat is the only place where girls’ high schools are open across the province, although schools also have reopened

in a few individual districts in northern Afghanistan, including the city of Mazar-e Sharif.”

 

TOLO News, Facing Closed Schools, Nangarhar Girls Despair Over Future, 29 November 2021

“The provincial education department said that it has been attempting to facilitate girls’ access to education beyond grade 6. Girls in the eastern province of Nangarhar are concerned about their uncertain future as schools from grade 7 to 12 have remained closed for girls since the Islamic Emirate swept into power in Afghanistan. The students urged the government to provide them with educational opportunities.”

 

TOLO News, 50% of Private Education Centers Closed Nationwide Since Takeover, 29 November 2021

“Over 50 percent of private education centers have been closed within the past three months across the country, the Union of Private Education Centers said on Sunday. The union said the deteriorated economic status of families is the main reason for the closure of these educational centers.”

 

AVA, Some Female Teachers in Afghanistan Teach Students Secretly, 27 November 2021

“The newspaper reported on Thursday (November 25th) that the teachers were opposed to the schools being closed. For this reason, some teachers provide education for girls in secret places. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, some teachers called the plan vital, stressing that they had decided to secretly teach female students after the Taliban did not allow them to go to school.”

TOLO News, Afghan Students with Scholarships to Pakistan Schools Lack Visas, 22 November 2021

“Afghan students who won Pakistani educational scholarships but have not yet been able to obtain visas gathered for a protest in front of the country’s embassy in Kabul on Monday.

The banners carried by the students are painted with the slogans: “The students have nothing to do with politics. We want our visas.” [...]

These students won scholarships for bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees at Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad. [...]

According to the students, classes began nearly two months ago.”

 

UNICEF, Afghanistan Humanitarian Situation Report, October 2021, 15 November 2021

“Education

Female teachers and education administration workers have continued to remain at home with exceptions being reported in some provinces across the country. Most restrictions on the implementation of interventions by

partners have been removed, except on resuming Accelerated Learning Centres (ALC) and Girls’ Access to Teacher Education (GATE) classes. The discussion to re-open GATE classes continues, and in a few provinces, as Teacher Training Centres (TTC) are opening and agreements have been reached to ensure that students who were in their final month(s) of their academic year can sit their exams. This will be a crucial step forward as more female teachers will be required to ensure all girls can return to school.”

 

Ariana News, High school girls will go to next grade should schools stay shut this year, 15 November 2021

“Ministry of Education (MoE) officials said Monday that plans to reopen schools for girls from Grade 7 have not yet

been finalized.

Dr Arfan, spokesman for the MoE said that girls above Grade 6 will however be promoted a year should the plan not be finalized this year.

“Girls up to class six are going to participate in exams, and the girls that are not attending schools will be upgraded based on their previous exams,” said Arfan.

This comes after Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials closed senior schools for girls after they took control in mid-August.

However, they have said they are working on a way to reopen schools for high school girls but within Islamic

principles.”

 

AVA Press, With Schools Closed, Kandahar Girls do Art at Home, 13 November 2021

“Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_The girls, who are sisters, turned one of the rooms in their house into a painting and

drawing center, and from this room they are promoting the art of painting and drawing.

They said they don’t want their last few years' struggles to be forgotten.

The girls urged the Islamic Emirate to reopen for girls.

“I ask the Islamic Emirate to reopen all the educational institutions so that all girls can go and learn their lessons,”

said Shugofa Amiri, a painter.

“They have given us 10 to 12 rules which are very strict. They told us that you should not come without Mahram,”

said Masoma Amiri, a painter.

The sisters have learned the art of painting and drawing in one of the art centers in Kandahar’s city and are trying to display their products. Now this art center is closed.

Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Culture said that work has begun on providing facilities for the female students.

“There is also a procedure for girls’ education. The centers are allowed to teach them based on the Islamic regulations,” said Abdul Shukur Spand, the and Culture Director of Kandahar.

On the other hand, painters in Kandahar called on the Islamic Emirate to spare no efforts in providing facilities for them.

“A large number of male and female students were coming here in order to learn drawing and painting skills,” said

Amanullah , a teacher of fine arts at a center in Kandahar.

In the last three months, most of the girls’ training centers were closed in the capital and other provinces, but in

recent weeks some provinces have provided education for girls.”

 

TOLO News, Girls’ Schools for Grades 7-12 Reopen in Herat, 8 November 2021

“Teachers said they have not received their salaries for over four months and face economic problems.

After nearly three months, girls’ schools have reopened for all female students in the western province of Herat, according to an elected council of Herat teachers.

For the past several months only girls up to grade 6 were allowed; now girls and young women in grades 7-12 are allowed to attend school in Herat.

According to the council, the decision was made after a month of discussions between the council and officials of

girls’ schools with the local officials of the Islamic Emirate in Herat.

The council said this decision allows over 300,000 more girls to continue with their education.”

 

Thomson Reuters Foundation News, UNICEF to directly fund Afghan teachers, bypassing Taliban authorities, 3 November 2021

“The United Nations children's agency said it was planning to set up a system to directly fund Afghan teachers,

after the international community placed a freeze on funding to the Taliban-led administration.

"UNICEF is setting up a system that will allow direct payments to teachers without the funds being channelled through the de facto authorities," Jeannette Vogelaar, UNICEF Afghanistan's Chief of Education, told Reuters in an email.

In preparation, she said, UNICEF would begin registering all public school teachers.

"The best way to support the education of girls in Afghanistan is to continue supporting their schools and teachers. UNICEF is calling upon donors not to let Afghanistan's children down," Vogelaar added.

Afghanistan's public services, in particular health and education, have been plunged into crisis since the Islamist Taliban movement took over the country on Aug. 15.

Many foreign governments have placed a ban on funding outside of humanitarian aid that is channelled through

multilateral agencies.

That has generally been limited to urgent supplies such as wheat and blankets, leaving public service workers including teachers without pay for months. Billions of dollars in Afghan central bank funds held overseas have also been frozen.

The international community has raised alarm that the Taliban might restrict female education, and high schools for girls in many parts of the country have remained closed even while those for boys have been allowed to open. A Taliban official told Reuters this week there would be "good news" soon on older girls being allowed to go back to school, and that they were working with UNICEF and other international organisations on the issue.

"We are working especially with UNICEF and some other international organisations ... to come up with a good solution ... we have meetings on a daily basis," said Waheedullah Hashimi, Director of External Programmes and Aid at Afghanistan's Ministry of Education.

"We have a problem that economically we are not good ... that is why we are requesting the international community, international organisations, especially those who have funds for emergency situations, to help us in this regard," he added.”

 

TOLO News, Afghan Girls Call for Reopening of Schools, 29 October 2021

“In the last two months, school-age girls and young women from grades 7 to 12 are still deprived of education in many of the provinces.

These students called on the Islamic Emirate to reopen girls’ schools across the country. [...]

According to the United Nations Educational Organization, over 4 million students have been deprived of education in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a number of Kandahar residents urged the Islamic Emirate to rebuild all those schools that have been destroyed in fighting between the former government and the Islamic military forces in the provinces.

Kandahar residents said that dozens of schools have been destroyed in the city and in other districts and thousands of students have been deprived of learning.

The Ghazi Mohammad Akbar Khan school in Arghandab district of Kandahar province is an example of the war's devastation in Kandahar. The school has been destroyed in recent battles between the former government military forces and the Islamic Emirate.

“Anyone who sees this school says 'we ask our leaders to let the children go back to school,' but they said that a large part of the school has been destroyed,” said Barialai, the principal of the school.

Officials at the Kandahar education department said that plans are underway for the reconstruction of schools in

Kandahar.”

 

Khaama Press, Women protest over closed schools for girls in Afghanistan, 26 October 2021

“A number of women took to the streets of Kabul on Tuesday, October 26 to protest against the closed school for

girls and accused the international community of being silent about what is going on in Afghanistan.

The women who had gathered at the gates of UNAMA in Kabul said that the international community, human rights group, and the United Nations are completely indifferent to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban in particular on the Afghan women.

The protestors said that the silence of the UN against the ongoing situation in Afghanistan is “shameful”.

The women chanted “rights to education, rights to work, are the fundamental rights of women” and “history will be ashamed of the silence of the UN”.

 

Deutsche Welle, Afghan girls set up ′secret school′ amid Taliban restrictions, 22 October 2021

“After coming to power, the Islamist group imposed a ban on girls' education, prompting some Afghans to set up an "underground school." DW spoke to some of the girls who are determined to continue their studies. [...]

After the Taliban overthrew Ashraf Ghani's government and captured the capital, Kabul, in late August, they reimposed restrictions on girls' education. In some cities, girls are not allowed to attend schools after sixth grade, and in some areas, older girls are not allowed to sit with male students.

The measures are arbitrary but in stark contrast to the Islamists' initial statements that they would respect

fundamental human rights. [...]

Running the "secret school" under these circumstances is not an easy task, but many parents are determined to educate their daughters and are ready to take risks.

The students of this school take different routes to join their classes at different times during the day so that they are not noticed by the authorities.

There are no desks and chairs in the classroom; girls sit in a circle on the floor. DW spoke to some of these girls,

but for security reasons, their identities have been concealed.”

 

Thomson Reuters Foundation news, In northern Afghanistan, girls' schools working despite ban elsewhere, 12 October 2021

“While girls across most of Afghanistan remain at home while brothers go to high school, classes in some northern areas have been open for all students, highlighting regional differences starting to emerge two months after the Taliban seized power.

Secondary schools remain closed for girls in much of the country, but in Mazar-i-Sharif, close to the border with Uzbekistan, local authorities have taken a different approach.

Zabihullah Noorani, head of the culture and information directorate in the northern province of Balkh, said lessons

in many schools were continuing for both boys and girls.”

 

Reuters, Afghan minister wants good relations, need more time on girls’ education, 12 October 2021 “Afghanistan's [acting] foreign minister acting Foreign Minister [Amir Khan Muttaqi] appealed to the world for good relations on Monday but avoided making firm commitments on girls' education despite international demands to allow all Afghan children to go back to school.” [...]

“Muttaqi said the Taliban's Islamic Emirate government was moving carefully but had only been in power for a few

weeks and could not be expected to complete reforms the international community had not been able to

implement in 20 years.”

 

Thomson Reuters Foundation news, Despite promises by the militants to let girls go to school, many Afghans fear girls' opportunities will be severely limited, 11 October 2021

“Secondary school girls in Afghanistan have had to remain at home since the Taliban took control of the country on

Aug. 15, even though their brothers have returned to class.

The Islamist movement, which barred girls from education when last in power 20 years ago, has promised it will allow girls to go to school as it seeks to show the world it has changed.

But when it announced older boys could resume school in September, along with primary-age children, it gave no indication of when adolescent girls could return to class.

Some secondary schools for girls have recently reopened in the northern province of Kunduz, but there has been no statement by the Taliban.

Head teachers, who are in talks with officials over the conditions for resuming girls' education elsewhere, expect an announcement shortly.

But even if the Taliban keep their word, many people fear girls' education and future opportunities will be

restricted under the militant group's rule.”

 

Al Jazeera, Anxious wait for Afghan girls as opening of high schools stalled, 5 October 2021

“Millions of teenage girls across Afghanistan are anxiously waiting to return to the classroom, as high schools

continue to remain closed, raising fears about the future of female education under Taliban rule.

The country’s new rulers allowed boys in the same age group – seven to 12 – to attend classes last month, but said

that “a safe learning environment” was needed before older girls could return to school.

At that time, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was

working on a “procedure” to allow teenage girls back into the classroom.”

 

Khaama Press, School graduates of 2000-2020, of no use: Taliban’s higher education minister, 4 October 2021

“The acting minister of the higher education of the Taliban Abdul Baqi Haqqani said that those who have graduated from high schools during the past twenty years are of no use.

The acting minister is meant by the graduates who have studied during the non-Taliban era when they were fighting the US-backed governments of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani.

Abdul Baqi Haqqani made the statements in a meeting with the university lecturers in Kabul.

Haqqani said that they must hire teachers who instill the students and incoming generations the values that are of use in the country and Afghanistan can utilize their talents in the future.

Earlier, the acting minister of higher education had said that the Master’s and Ph.D. holders of modern studies are

less valuable than those who have studied in madrasas and have religious studies in Afghanistan.

The statement of Haqqani comes as the period-2000-2020- is said to be one of the most important and rich eras when it comes to the level of education in Afghanistan.

The writer of this report is one of those who first went to school in 2000, graduated, got his BA degree in

journalism, and is now working as a professional Afghan journalist in Kabul.”

 

Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, SCA brings hope to children of war survivors, 4 October 2021

“The construction of a school by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) in a war frontline has built hopes

and brought smile to the face of children and residents of Olkhel village in Wardak Province.

The children of Olkhil village, who have long been deprived of their right to education and have always lived in turmoil in search of shelter against the bullets and flames of war, are now happy and excited about the construction of a school in their village. The village that has witnessed years of fighting between the former government's security forces and its armed opposition groups, its residents has bitter memories about their village being used as a war frontline before the recent political transition in the country. [...]

Hazrat Omar Farooq School is an elementary school whose building is designed with six classrooms, four administrative rooms, a computer lab, a laboratory, ten separate toilets for girls and boys, and a 300-meter surrounding wall. The school will going to be equipped with a solar power system. A drinking water well has also been dug in the school and is to be connected to a solar power system. This school is built for both boys and girls students and has 13 teachers. The school is located 7 km from the capital city of Maidan Shahr and about 35 km from the capital province Kabul.”

 

ABC News, Taliban official’s comments on education, jobs fuel more fears for Afghan women’s rights, 29 September 2021

“When the Taliban controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, they largely barred women and girls from public life without a male relative and excluded them from schools and universities entirely.Kabul University chancellor Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat suggested a return to that policy Tuesday, tweeting, " As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first."

After media outlets reported on his comments, he issued a second tweet, criticizing the New York Times in

particular for what he called a "bad misunderstanding" of his comments.”

 

Al Jazeera, Girls to return to secondary schools ‘soon as possible’: Taliban, 21 September 2021

“Girls will have to wait longer to return to secondary school in Afghanistan, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, as concerns grow over the fate of women’s education under the new government. Speaking at a press conference in the capital Kabul on Tuesday, Mujahid said the group was “finalising things” and that secondary school girls will return to the classroom “as soon as possible.”

 

Amnesty International, Afghanistan: The fate of thousands hanging in the balance, 21 September 2021

“In this report, Amnesty International, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) have documented incidents of human rights violations that have taken place in Afghanistan since the takeover by the Taliban on 15 August”. The report references a number of sources, Including: [...]

• Gandhara/RFEL, Taliban Imposes New Dress Code, Segregation of Women at Afghan Universities, 6

  

  ·

   

  The Times of India. 18 September 2021. “Taliban resume boys-only schools, makes no mention of girls”.

   

  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/taliban-resume-boys-only-schools-makes-no-mention-of-

   

  September 2021, https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/taliban-dress-code-segregation-women/31446726.htm

  girls/articleshow/86311733.cms.

• Al Jazeera. 17 September 2021. “Taliban says classes resume for Afghan boys, no mention of girls”. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/17/taliban-saysclasses-resume-afghan-boys-no-mention-girls. [...]

• France 24. 11 September 2021. "Sports ban, segregated education: Afghanistan women worried by first

Taliban measures”.

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210911-sports-ban-segregated-education-afghanistan-women- worried-by-first-taliban-measures.

 

Reuters, Some Afghan girls return to school, others face anxious wait, 18 September 2021

“Some Afghan girls returned to primary schools with gender-segregated classes on Saturday, but older girls faced an anxious wait with no clarity over if and when they would be able to resume their studies at the secondary school level.”

“Taliban officials say they will not return to the fundamentalist policies - including a ban on girls receiving an education - when they last ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.”

 

The Guardian, Taliban ban girls from secondary education in Afghanistan, 17 September 2021

“The Taliban have effectively banned girls from secondary education in Afghanistan, by ordering high schools to re- open only for boys.

Girls were not mentioned in Friday’s announcement, which means boys will be back at their desks next week after

a one-month hiatus, while their sisters will still be stuck at home.

The Taliban education ministry said secondary school classes for boys in grades seven to 12 would resume on Saturday, the start of the Afghan week. “All male teachers and students should attend their educational

institutions,” the statement said. The future of girls and female teachers, stuck at home since the Taliban took

control, was not addressed.

The edict makes Afghanistan the only country on earth to bar half its population from getting a secondary education. [...]

The Taliban appeared somewhat more open to women’s education when they ordered all primary school students back to class, and said women could study for degrees, albeit in a strictly gender-segregated system that will dramatically lower the range and quality of women’s options.

But if the high schools do not reopen for girls, the commitments to allow university education would become

meaningless once the current cohort of students graduated.”

 

Human Rights Watch, How the International Community Can Protect Afghan Women and Girls, 2 September 2021

“Access to Education

In recent years, in areas under their control, Taliban policies varied but often included permitting girls to attend school only up to the sixth grade. Even when local Taliban policy permitted at least some girls to study, there have sometimes been efforts to discourage girls and women from attending.

Since gaining control of the country, the Taliban have said they support education for girls and women. At the initial news conference, Mujahid said, “They can have activities in different sectors and different areas on the basis of our rules and regulations: educational, health and other areas.” Another spokesperson, Suhail Shaheen, on August 23 tweeted a clip of girls entering a school, writing, “Back to School in a New Afghanistan.”

The status of girls’ access to secondary education, which the Taliban have typically not permitted in recent years in areas under their control, is unclear. On August 29, the acting minister of higher education announced that girls and women may participate in higher education but may not study with boys and men. The Taliban previously issued a similar order to universities in the western city of Herat, adding that female students could only receive instruction from female or “virtuous” elderly male professors.

A lack of female teachers, especially in higher education, is likely to mean that such rules amount to a de facto

denial of access to education for many girls and women. Afghan government statistics from 2019 indicate that across the country’s 166 universities, 27 percent of students were female, but only 14 percent of professors. Even in government teacher training institutions, only about 13 percent of the teachers were women that year although 57 percent of the students were women.”