As the new academic year approaches, girls barred from education in Afghanistan are calling on Taliban to reopen schools and universities, warning that continued restrictions are putting their futures at risk.
With only days remaining before the start of the school year, it remains unclear whether girls above sixth grade will be allowed to return to classrooms.
Sonam, who was in ninth grade when the Taliban took power, said she has been unable to attend school for nearly five years.
“If we had not been stopped, I would have graduated by now and moved closer to my dream of becoming a doctor,” she said.
She described the psychological toll of prolonged exclusion from education.
“It has been five years since we last went to school. Five years is a lifetime. Why don’t we have the right to study?” she said. “Being away from school has made me ill. The doors of our schools must be reopened.”
Other students echoed similar concerns, urging Taliban to allow them to resume their education.
Nazila, a university student, said she has been unable to attend classes for nearly four years.
“If universities were open, we could have progressed and continued our studies,” she said. “During these years, I have struggled with depression.”
Many girls say their only hope now is to hear that schools for girls will reopen.
Nearly five years have passed since girls were barred from secondary education, and universities have been largely closed to women for about four years.
Students say the prolonged restrictions threaten the future of an entire generation and are calling on the international community not to remain silent.
They are urging global actors to increase pressure on the Taliban to lift restrictions and allow girls and women to return to classrooms.
According to UNESCO, more than 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan are currently out of school due to restrictions on female education, making the country the only one in the world where girls are banned from secondary and higher education.
