International community pushes for action against Taliban regarding the prohibition of girls' education
The Taliban's rule in Afghanistan has been met with strong condemnation from the international community, particularly in relation to their policies towards women's education. Audrey Azoulay, the chief of UNESCO, has urged the international community to remain more mobilised than ever for the full and unconditional restoration of Afghan women's right to education.
Despite promises of a softer rule, the Taliban authorities have continued to impose restrictive measures on women. Sweeping restrictions include bans from universities, public parks, gyms, and beauty salons. The most devastating restriction, however, is the ban on girls' education beyond the primary level. As a result, around 2.2 million girls are barred from schooling beyond the primary level, according to UNESCO.
The UN general assembly, a meeting where member nations discuss and make decisions on world issues, addressed the Taliban authorities on these matters. Azoulay, in her address, called an entire generation of Afghan women being sacrificed. She urged the international community to maintain diplomatic pressure on the Taliban authorities.
Key international efforts to address this crisis include advocacy by UN agencies such as UN Women and UNAMA, humanitarian aid from countries like Ireland, and calls for accountability from human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch. The UN general assembly adopted a resolution on Afghanistan, co-sponsored by countries including Ireland, to maintain international focus on women’s rights and the humanitarian crisis.
However, the Taliban continue to enforce bans on secondary and higher education for girls and women, using religious and moral policing to control female participation. This has led to worsening health outcomes, increased gender-based violence, and marginalization. International actions focus largely on advocacy, humanitarian support, and calls for accountability rather than direct restoration of educational rights, which is contingent on Taliban policy changes.
The Taliban authorities have not responded favorably to the criticism they received at the UN general assembly. Russia is the only country to have recognized the Taliban government since they seized power in 2021. Despite these challenges, the international community continues to push for change, hoping to secure a brighter future for Afghan women and girls.
[1] Human Rights Watch. (2022). Afghanistan: Women's Rights Under Threat. [online] Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/29/afghanistan-womens-rights-under-threat
[2] United Nations. (2022). UNESCO Director-General's Statement on the International Day of the Girl Child. [online] Available at: https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-director-general-s-statement-international-day-girl-child-2022
[3] Amnesty International. (2022). Afghanistan: Taliban Must Stop Violations Against Women and Girls. [online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/afghanistan-taliban-must-stop-violations-against-women-and-girls/
[4] United Nations. (2022). Afghanistan: UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Afghanistan. [online] Available at: https://www.un.org/press/en/2022/ga12356.doc.htm
[5] Irish Aid. (2022). Ireland's Response to the Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan. [online] Available at: https://www.irishaid.ie/our-work/where-we-work/afghanistan/our-response-to-the-humanitarian-crisis-in-afghanistan/
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