8am: Over the past three years, the Taliban have barred girls and women in Afghanistan from attending schools beyond the sixth grade. The group has given various excuses for keeping schools and universities closed to females. Recently, however, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs [Abdul Kabir] responded sarcastically when asked about reopening girls’
Al Jazeera: Beyond economic empowerment, the salons provided Afghan women with a much-needed community. “It was a safe, female-only space where we could meet outside of our homes and without a mahram [male guardian],” a former beauty business owner who did not want to be named for safety reasons tells Al Jazeera. Click here to
By Ayaz Gul VOA News August 15, 2024 islamabad — The United Nations said Thursday that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have “deliberately deprived” 1.4 million girls of schooling since they reclaimed power three years ago, putting at risk the future of an entire generation. The U.N. Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO released the new report
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 12, 2024 The Taliban has created “the world’s most serious women’s rights crisis” since returning to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. Under the Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become the only country where girls are banned from going to school beyond the sixth grade, HRW
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi July 14, 2024 The world has long been aware of the scourge of apartheid — the systemic segregation or discrimination of people based on their race. But what about the institutionalized practice of singling people out for ill-treatment due to their gender? The push to recognize “gender apartheid” under international law is
DW: Women are the ones who are suffering most under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Disappointed by the lack of support from the West, they are establishing networks to come together and fight for their rights. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Zarmina Paryani, a prominent women’s rights activist, criticised the public’s indifference to the Taliban’s treatment of women and urged people to protest against the harassment of women in Afghanistan. She revealed that the Taliban members had “stripped her and other women” in prison. Paryani stated that the Taliban clicked group photos of her
The Guardian (UK): The stop-start– or start-stop – story of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team has been sitting in the ICC’s to-do tray since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. It isn’t a straightforward issue, but no one can say that it has been at the top of the pile, with the governing
Barron’s: Afghanistan’s Taliban government does not recognise the three female athletes who will represent the country at the Paris Olympic Games this month, a spokesman for their sports department said. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited a squad of six Afghan athletes — three women and three men — in consultation with Afghanistan’s largely
Arab News: Fears of ‘lost generation,’ as education experts say ban has damaged Afghanistan’s entire social system. ‘Iqra’ campaign by Afghan activists gathers stories of young women denied access to formal schooling. Click here to read more (external link).