A summit organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) focusing on girls’ education in Muslim-majority countries, particularly Afghanistan, will convene in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday. The two-day event aims to address the challenges facing girls’ education in these regions.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Education has confirmed that the Taliban have been invited to participate in the discussions. Speaking on the issue of educational restrictions for girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Minister of Education, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, stated, “While respecting tribal customs, there is no justification in Islam for limiting women’s access to education.”
“We have sent them an invitation to participate in this summit and hope their delegation will attend because Afghanistan is a very important neighboring country,” Mr. Siddiqui added.
Pakistani media outlets, citing anonymous sources, have reported that a key objective of the summit is to pressure the Taliban to reconsider their ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Education also announced that Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a vocal advocate for girls’ education, will attend the summit.
“I will speak about the importance of supporting every girl’s right to attend school and emphasize why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women and girls,” Ms. Yousafzai said in a statement.
The Taliban have not yet commented on whether they will send representatives to the event.
Calls for International Action
Many Afghan girls who have been denied access to education have urged the global community and international organizations to use platforms like the upcoming summit to pressure the Taliban into reversing their ban.
“Our request to the international community is to put pressure on the Taliban to attend these meetings and discuss the education of Afghan girls. It’s been nearly three years since we’ve been unable to attend school—our lives and futures are uncertain,” said Marsal, a resident of Badghis.
Shahnaz, a resident of Farah, added: “Thousands, even millions of girls in Afghanistan, are waiting without hope, unsure of what decision the government will make about our futures.”
Afghanistan: A Grim Exception
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are systematically denied access to education. According to UNESCO, the closure of schools in September 2021 has deprived 1.1 million girls of their right to education. An additional 2.5 million school-age girls, eligible to attend school, have been left out of the system entirely.
In December 2022, the Taliban extended the ban to higher education, excluding over 100,000 young women from universities and shutting down medical institutes, which had been among the last remaining avenues for Afghan girls to pursue education.
As global leaders gather in Islamabad, the summit serves as a critical opportunity to address the plight of Afghan girls and advocate for the restoration of their fundamental right to education.
