Zalmay Khalilzad Urges Taliban to Reopen Girls’ Schools on International Women’s Day
On International Women’s Day, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, called on the Taliban administration to allow girls and women to return to schools and universities. On his X (formerly Twitter) page, he emphasized that continued educational deprivation poses a serious challenge to Afghanistan’s future.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Women’s section released a report describing the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan as worrying. The agency stated that many public spaces, which previously provided opportunities for women’s social gatherings and activities, have now been closed, and restrictions persist.
The United Nations stressed that normalizing such conditions is unacceptable, and the international community must stand with Afghan women. According to the UN, sustained international support can help create meaningful change.
Currently, education for girls beyond the sixth grade and women’s access to universities in Afghanistan remain limited. This issue has prompted widespread reactions from human rights organizations and international bodies. The Taliban administration claims women’s rights are guaranteed and efforts to reopen schools are ongoing; however, the continued restrictions in practice indicate that these promises have yet to yield concrete results.
