The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Head, Roza Otunbayeva, has recently met with a number of Afghan women’s representatives and women rights activists in Kabul. In her meeting
with the Afghan women representatives, the UNAMA head stressed on possibility of providing the Afghan women and girls to get access to work and education.
The socio-economic hardships of Afghan women after the imposition of restrictions on the education of girls and the work of women were the center of discussion between the UN official and the Afghan women representatives.
On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has said that the IEA is committed to respecting the women rights in framework of the Islamic Sharia. The Islamic Emirate has also pledged that it will soon pave the ground for returning of Afghan girls to school.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, has recently said that reopening of high schools for girls is necessary as the IEA is not against girls’ education.
The IEA spokesperson speaking at the gathering of the Union of Scholars and Madrasas (Ittihad-ul Ulama) held in Turkiye last week said that the reopening of the girls’ school was definite, however he didn’t give a certain time about its reopening.
“Males are educated from the first to the twelfth grade, and the girls also attend schools up to the sixth grade, but from the seventh to the twelfth grade, the schools are stopped, and it is not stopped because we do not want education, we are preparing their principles, curriculum, educational places, and transportation, to make sure that people mentally allow their daughters to be educated, that their hijab is observed, that what they learn is valid, because our past curriculum was made by America, if that system is implemented in Afghanistan, ideas will change and they will be against the country,” Mujahid said.
Afghan political experts believes that the Islamic Emirate will pave the ground for girls’ education once they complete with their review on the education curriculum. Of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) head can consult with the IEA leaders in reopening the girls’ schools, it will be a great job of the UN for Afghan women and girls in the country.
Meanwhile, acting minister of education, Mawlavi Habibullah Agha, in his recent visit to Bamyan has said that the reopening of girls’ schools beyond grade six is being considered. He said that the problems existing within the educational sector would be addressed soon.
“We will make a special mechanism for the girls’ schools. We will not plan it without any mechanism as in the previous government. The boys and girls were together. The Islamic system doesn’t allow it,” he said.
Previously, deputy minister of the country’s foreign affairs minister Mawlavi Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai had said that education was compulsory on each Muslim male and female, asking the IEA leadership to work to reopen girls’ schools across the country. Zarabi