The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is set to host a conference titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities” on January 11-12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, with a primary focus on the ongoing ban on girls’ and women’s education in Afghanistan.
According to Pakistani media reports, the event will address the Taliban’s restrictions on education, which have prevented girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and barred women from universities. The policy, imposed after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community and Muslim scholars.
The conference, a Saudi-backed initiative hosted by Pakistan, has already seen over 30 foreign ministers from OIC member states confirm their attendance. While the full agenda has not been disclosed, sources told The Express Tribune that one of the key objectives is to “pressure the Taliban to reverse their ban on girls’ education.”
Taliban’s ban on women’s education
Since taking power, the Taliban have prohibited girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and barred women from universities, initially framing the restrictions as temporary. However, three years on, the Taliban have not only maintained the ban but expanded it.
Most recently, the Taliban banned women from pursuing medical studies, closing what many considered the last avenue of hope for female students. Medical institutes have been instructed not to enroll female students, further deepening the crisis for Afghan women and girls.
Despite repeated appeals from the international community and the Muslim world, the Taliban have refused to reverse their policies. Taliban leaders have signaled their unwillingness to heed external advice, including from Islamic nations, on women’s education.
A unified response from the Muslim world
Scholars across the Muslim world have denounced the Taliban’s restrictions as un-Islamic and contrary to Sharia principles. The upcoming conference in Islamabad is expected to bring together OIC members to send a united message condemning these policies.
It remains unclear whether the Taliban will be invited to the conference. Some officials have suggested their participation, arguing that it could expose the group to the broader perspective of the Islamic world on the issue of women’s education.
According to Pakistani media reports, the conference is likely to issue a strong statement urging the Taliban to lift their ban on girls’ and women’s education. Observers see this as an opportunity for the OIC to take a firm stand and advocate for the rights of Afghan women and girls, emphasizing that education is a fundamental right guaranteed under Islamic teachings.
