Six Western countries, including the United States, on Thursday March 24 called on the Taliban to “return urgently” on the decision to ban secondary schools for girls, in a joint declaration.
Read alsoAfghanistan: Taliban orders secondary schools closed to girls
France, Italy, Norway, the United States, Canada and Great Britain, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, warned that this choice would have “consequences far beyond its harm to Afghan girls”and could harm Afghanistan’s ambition “to become a respected member of the community of nations”. “Every Afghan citizen, boy or girl, male or female, has an equal right to education at all levels, in all provinces of the country”they concluded.
The Taliban in power in Afghanistan since August 2021 reversed their decision on Wednesday to allow girls to study in colleges and high schools, just hours after the reopening which had been announced for a long time and without providing a clear explanation. The announcement took place when many students had already returned to secondary school.
Read alsoIn Afghanistan, the Taliban unable to bring order and justice
In seven months of rule, the Taliban have imposed a multitude of restrictions on women. They are barred from many government jobs, restricted in how they dress, and banned from traveling alone outside their towns. Earlier Thursday, France had condemned this decision, judged “appalling” and in contradiction to the Taliban’s public commitments.