Former President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday warned that continued restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment are weakening the country, as a new academic year begins.
In a statement marking the start of the school year, Karzai said the exclusion of girls from education and limits on women’s work were pushing Afghanistan’s society toward greater hardship.
“Depriving girls of education and banning women from work confronts our people each day with greater weakness,” he said, adding that the continuation of such policies would have “irreparable consequences” for the country’s stability and progress.
He emphasized that education for all children — girls as well as boys — is essential for national development, self-reliance and a dignified life. He called for schools and universities to be reopened to girls and for women to be allowed to work and participate fully in society.
Referring to the start of the school year, Karzai described the ringing of the school bell as “a promise of new hope” and urged students to pursue higher levels of learning.
His remarks come as Afghanistan enters its fifth consecutive year in which girls above the sixth grade have been barred from attending school following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The United Nations has said that at least 2.2 million girls in Afghanistan are currently out of school because of the restrictions.
Since 2021, Taliban have imposed sweeping limits on women’s education and employment. Women have been barred from universities and prevented from working in many sectors, including nongovernmental organizations and United Nations agencies.
Despite repeated calls from the international community to lift the restrictions, Taliban have made no significant changes to the policies.
