Taliban Avoids Clear Answer on Girls’ Education Ban
The Taliban administration has once again declined to give a clear answer on whether the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan will continue, leaving the fate of millions of girls barred from schools and universities uncertain.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban administration’s spokesman, said at a news conference on Sunday, 29 August, in response to reporters’ questions about the continuation of the ban: “At the moment, this may not be the time to discuss it.” He also said efforts would be made to address the issue in areas where there was “an interruption.”
Without offering a specific explanation of when or how the restriction might be lifted, Mujahid said the Taliban administration had already answered questions on the matter before. However, he did not give a direct response to the main question about the future of girls’ education.
The Taliban spokesman also claimed that more than 10 million people in Afghanistan are currently engaged in education. According to him, if the country’s population is 40 million, then one in every four people is studying.
Mujahid described the figures as “good news for the people of the country” and said that good attention had been paid to education. His remarks come as female students have been barred from attending schools and universities for the past five years, since the Taliban returned to power.
Girls’ education has been one of the most contentious issues under Taliban rule, and the ban has repeatedly drawn widespread domestic and international criticism.
