Yasmine Sherif: World Leaders Must Unite to End the Ban on Afghan Girls’ Education

PR Newswire, on the occasion of September 17, the third anniversary of the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan, published Yasmine Sherif’s statements in a report.

Ms. Sherif has called on the world to financially support ongoing local educational initiatives that defy the Taliban’s “illegal and irrational” ban. She emphasized: “We ask you [the world] to resolve the catastrophe of Afghan girls, which stems from ignorance, not enlightenment.”

The Executive Director of “Education Cannot Wait” added that they stand for millions of Afghan girls and women living under a system of “gender apartheid.” Ms. Sherif stressed that merely standing with Afghan women is not enough; practical action must be taken to eliminate “oppression and injustice.”

Yasmine Sherif has previously called for access to education for women and girls, emphasizing that rebuilding Afghanistan requires the social participation of the country’s women and girls.

This comes as the Taliban, after returning to power in Afghanistan, have imposed severe restrictions on women and girls. Girls above the sixth grade are banned from education, and female students are prohibited from attending universities and private educational institutions.

The United Nations and the international community have repeatedly called for the lifting of the ban on women’s right to education and work in Afghanistan over the past three years, but the Taliban have not heeded these requests so far.