Afghanistan Peace Campaign“We ask the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for us so that we can get educated and serve our country,” Hadia told TOLOnews.
As the new academic year approaches, the US State Department has reiterated its call for the Islamic Emirate to lift the ban on girls’ education.
At a press briefing, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the department, highlighted the impending “sad anniversary” for Afghan schoolgirls, and advocated for their right to return to school.
“We’re of course aware that this sad anniversary is coming up, and we have made it clear that girls should never have been blocked from going to school in the first place. Advancing respect for the rights of Afghan women and girls is critical to our efforts in Afghanistan. At every opportunity we urge the Taliban to allow girls to return to school, respect the rights of all Afghans, and reverse their discriminatory decrees on women and girls,” Miller noted.
Amid these calls for change, several female students have once again voiced their plea to the Islamic Emirate, seeking the restoration of their right to education.
Among them is 16-year-old Hadia, who has been deprived of her education for three years. Living with the fear of what her future holds, Hadia asked the government to restore their basic rights and allow them to return to school.
“We ask the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for us so that we can get educated and serve our country,” Hadia told TOLOnews.
“We have fallen far behind our neighboring countries, and the reason for that is the low level of literacy,” Roita, another student told TOLOnews reporter.
The Islamic Emirate has yet to react to these remarks by the US State Department’s spokesperson; however, it has previously said that the right to education for girls is not being denied, noting that efforts are underway to address the issue.
This situation unfolds as it marks 900 days since the closure of schools for girls beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan.