Cordaid is very concerned by news that the Taliban reversed their announcement to open secondary schools for girls. Disturbing reports are emerging from Kabul, Khost, Kunar, Herat, and Kunduz that girls above sixth grade were turned away as they tried to enter schools. Leaving students in tears.
For the first time since the Taliban takeover in August last year, thousands of Afghan girls resumed classes today. At least they tried to. This is weeks after the Ministry of Education had announced March 23 to be the date for girls to resume school.
A girl in Kabul cried while talking about being prevented from entering the classroom. She urged the Islamic Emirate to reopen all girls’ schools across the country.#TOLOnews pic.twitter.com/MPcmOLxjUw
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) March 23, 2022
“They are playing with the destiny of millions of girls,” says Mariam Ghafoori, one of Cordaid’s Afghan colleagues that were evacuated from Kabul in August last year and now based in Amsterdam. “Women should not be marginalized, in whatever vested interest,” she adds.
Donor conference
“Apart from being an unacceptable move, it is also unwise in the light of the upcoming international donor conference for Afghanistan later this month. Most of the donors will regard this as a breach of earlier promises”, says Cordaid’s political analyst Paul van den Berg. He urges Afghan leadership to uphold previous announcements that high schools would open for Afghan girls.
Cordaid in Afghanistan
Cordaid has been working on the ground for decades in Afghanistan, fighting poverty, providing health care services and humanitarian assistance, promoting entrepreneurship, and furthering the position of women.
