Taliban Call Girls’ Education Ban a “Minor Issue”

Photo: @Zabehulah_M33 on X

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban, in a press conference in Kabul, in response to a question about the inclusion of girls’ education beyond sixth grade in the group’s “National Development Strategy,” described it as “a minor issue.”

This is while the Taliban, over the past four years, have banned girls from attending school beyond sixth grade and blocked their access to universities and even medical training.

The United Nations and human rights organizations have described these policies as “gender apartheid” and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights. Experts believe that depriving millions of girls of education has wide-ranging consequences for the future of Afghanistan, from increasing poverty and forced marriages to a severe shortage of skilled professionals and the deepening of extremism.

Despite international condemnation, the Taliban continue to insist on these restrictions. Analysts say the inaction of the international community has paved the way for the continuation of this destructive crisis.