Women in Kabul call on Taliban to reopen girls' schools

Kabul [Afghanistan], April 18 : A number of women in Kabul have urged the Taliban to reopen schools for girls above grade six, local media reported.
The call was made at a protest held by the Junbish Khodjosh Zanan Afghanistan, TOLOnews reported.
"Here a generation is deprived of its basic human rights. A generation of women is deprived of rights to education, work and social activities," said Monsia Mubariz, a women's rights activist, according to TOLOnews.
"The closing of girls' schools shows the Taliban's lack of commitment to their promise," said Zakia Zahat, another activist.
This comes as the Ministry of Education said it is optimistic about efforts to reopen schools for girls in grades 7-12. Aziz Ahmad Riyan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said that the leadership of the Islamic Emirate has shown the green light for the reopening of girls' schools, TOLOnews reported.
Meanwhile, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mette Knudsen, in a meeting with Chairman of Afghan Senate Fazal Hadi Muslimyar pressed for representative governance, the need for dialogue at all levels, and access to education for girls and boys in Afghanistan.
Knudsen also held a discussion with Muslimyar over the role of the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
During the meeting with Muslimyar, UNAMA's deputy head discussed representative governance and the need for dialogue at all levels.
Earlier, during a briefing of the Diplomatic Corps on April 6, Knudsen highlighted that the Taliban's decision to ban girls from attending secondary schools has negatively impacted the attitude of the global community towards them.
The Taliban have issued a decree banning female students above grade six from attending their classes in schools. The girls were further told to stay home until the Islamic Emirate announces its next decision.
The decision by the Islamic Emirate has drawn severe backlash across the world with the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union issuing a joint statement to condemn the Taliban's decision to deny Afghan girls the opportunity to go back to schools.
Meanwhile, the envoys and representatives of the European Union, US, and the European countries in a joint statement have also said that the international aid to Kabul will depend on Afghanistan's ability to ensure access to education for girls at all levels, said a media report.
In the joint statement, the envoys and the representatives have said that the type and scope of "international donor assistance will depend, among other things, on the right and ability of girls to attend equal education at all levels," reported TOLOnews.
The joint statement further stressed that the progress towards normalized relations between the Taliban and the international community will depend mostly on Kabul's actions and delivery on commitments and obligations to the Afghan people and to the international community.