Rina Amiri, the US special envoy for Afghan women and human rights, criticized the Taliban’s ongoing prohibition on girls’ education beyond grade six for the third straight year, saying that such “relentless and discriminatory” edicts are contributing to Afghanistan’s poverty and dependency on aid.
This situation, she added, has also been compelling Afghan families to leave the country.
Amiri stressed the irreplaceable value of involving “all Afghans in the formal education system,” a tradition spanning over a century.
Speaking on X, the US envoy underscored global support for reversing the Taliban’s policies, which she said are crippling the potential of over half the country’s population.
“It is heartbreaking to observe another year where school doors open without the inclusion of Afghan girls above the age of 12,” Amiri lamented.
Her comments come as the Taliban commenced the new academic year on March 20, continuing to exclude girls above grade 6 from attending classes for the third year in a row.
