Afghanistan Peace CampaignEducation experts believe this deprivation has not only crushed the hopes of thousands of girls but also cast a dark shadow over the country’s future.
With the Islamic Emirate marking its fourth year in power in Afghanistan, schools above the sixth grade remain closed for girls.
Sana and Basira, both 11th-grade students and sisters, have been confined to their home since the day schools were shut to girls.
Although more than 1,400 days have passed since this decision, their passion for learning is still alive.
Sana said: “I was very excited because only one year was left, and I told myself, God willing, I will go to university. I was trying very hard, and besides school, I was also attending courses so I could go to university, become a doctor, and serve people. But after staying at home, overthinking started, illnesses and anxieties appeared, and our minds fell behind.”
Another student, Basira, added: “At least open the doors for those who wear hijab! If you want to be strict, hold those accountable whom you think are not following the rules, but don’t keep us deprived. Please open the schools so that we can have a bright future and be a proud nation.”
Their plea is shared by thousands of Afghan girls who have been deprived of education over these years. Several other students also insist that schools must reopen this year.
Bushra, another student, said: “It has been four years we have been waiting. In this fifth year, schools should finally open for us. Our hopes are gone, our dreams are dead. We are just sitting at home, with no courage left.”
Similarly, Hanifa expressed: “Our request from the Islamic Emirate is to open the schools for us. This waiting has gone on long enough.”
Education experts believe this deprivation has not only crushed the hopes of thousands of girls but also cast a dark shadow over the country’s future.
According to them, a nation’s human capital develops through education, and depriving girls of schooling means losing half of society’s potential for progress.
University professor Janat Faheem Chakari said: “If schools and universities remain closed to girls, our society will suffer greatly. It will cause serious damage from religious, social, and moral perspectives. Our request from the Islamic Emirate is to open the doors of education for girls as soon as possible, because without knowledge, we will reach nowhere.”
This comes after the Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, told TOLOnews that efforts are underway to find a precise religious justification for girls’ education.