As the academic year approaches, former President Hamid Karzai has reiterated calls for the reopening of schools and universities for girls, describing education as the “sustaining honor and rescue path of every human society.”
Karzai, in a message marking the start of the new academic year on March 22, stated on his X account that the “beginning days of education are like Eid holidays for our girls and boys.” He noted that Afghan girls have been deprived of schooling, university education, and serving their nation and family.
Citing education as vital for the growth and honor of human society, Karzai urged the Taliban to “reopen the schools and universities for the girls of Afghanistan and rescue the country from dependence on foreigners.”
Since taking over Afghanistan, the Taliban has prohibited girls from attending schools. In December 2022, the group issued a decree closing universities for women. The Taliban’s repressive policies on girls’ and women’s education and employment have drawn strong international criticism, including from the Islamic world.
As the new educational year set to begin on March 22 looms, it remains uncertain whether the Taliban will allow girls above grade six to return to school.
