Afghan girls call for access to education on International Students' Day

Kabul [Afghanistan], November 18 : As the Taliban continues to ban Afghan girls from accessing education, girl students called for the doors of universities to open for them, TOLO News reported.
On the occasion of International Student Day, they stressed that education is their fundamental right and the Taliban should not prevent them from it.
Madina, 23, a third-year sociology student at Kabul University, said that the closing of the doors to education has taken away her dreams.
"My dream was to finish my bachelor's degree in sociology and then study for a master's degree in law so that I could defend the rights of Afghan girls," she said.
Other students, including both boys and girls, are asking the current Afghan government to reopen the universities as soon as possible to allow them to study in the country, according to TOLO News.
Toba, another student, said, "Our request to the current government and the international community is to open the gates of universities and schools for female classes so that female students can also benefit from the blessings of education."
"Our sisters are half of society; education should be given to them so that we can grow our society and yours," said Sayed Rohullah, a student.
However, the Taliban did not comment on their demand on International Student Day but emphasised that they are trying to create facilities for students in order to teach them as effectively as possible.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban, said, "In this regard, we are making our final efforts, from scholarships to education inside the country, raising the level of education and making educational departments specialised. In this regard, things have improved and efforts are still ongoing."
Earlier this week, the Taliban intelligence forces, along with officials from the Ministry of Education and the Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, raided and sealed some schools that were teaching girls foreign languages, reported Khaama Press.
The director of one of the schools in Herat said that the authorities of the Taliban administration have blocked the gates of approximately ten schools. "Girls cannot attend courses, and schools that were teaching girls have had their gates sealed," he added.
It has been over two years since the Taliban banned girls from attending schools after sixth grade in Afghanistan and has not taken any action to reopen educational institutions for girls.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, they have issued several decrees that impose restrictions on women. Afghanistan's women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment or public spaces.