Senior Taliban official Sher Abbas Stanikzai has urged the group’s leadership to overturn the ban on education for Afghan women and girls, describing the restrictions as unjustifiable.
Speaking at a religious school ceremony in Khost province on Saturday, Stanikzai, who serves as the political deputy at the Foreign Ministry, criticized the policy, stating, “There is no justification for denying education to women and girls. This is not rooted in Islamic law but rather in personal decisions or customs. We are committing an injustice by depriving 20 million people, half of the population, of their rights.”
The Taliban’s ban, which bars females from studying beyond the sixth grade, has faced widespread international condemnation. Reports from late 2023 also reveal that authorities have suspended medical training for women, exacerbating the healthcare crisis in a country where female medical professionals are crucial for addressing women’s healthcare needs.
