Taliban deny claims girls will be banned from school — but doesn’t say when they’ll be allowed in
The Taliban Ministry of Training ordered male college students and lecturers from the sixth to the twelfth grade to report back to their faculties on Saturday. The announcement, issued on Friday, didn’t point out feminine college students in any respect, sowing fears that women would as soon as once more be excluded from secondary schooling.
When final in energy between 1996 and 2001, the militant group banned ladies and women from schooling and work and severely restricted their rights.
However talking to CNN on Saturday, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid mentioned ladies might be allowed to check.
Mujahid mentioned the Taliban was engaged on making a safe transport system for ladies in grades six to 12.
“There are particular guidelines throughout their class time that have to be obeyed that they could possibly be secure and sound,” he mentioned.
“We do have women in universities persevering with their schooling each in non-public and government-funded universities, however from grade 6 to 12 we’re at present making an attempt to supply probability for them to hold on,” he mentioned.
Mujahid identified that girls have been being allowed to proceed to check in different age teams. “We do have women in universities persevering with their schooling each in non-public and government-funded universities, however from grade 6 to 12 we’re at present making an attempt to supply probability for them to hold on, and it is in processing,” he mentioned.
One Afghan lady who hoped to return to high school instructed CNN the Taliban announcement on Friday got here as a shock, particularly because the group had beforehand allowed women to go to major faculties.
“I hoped to return to high school and get nearer to my greater desires, however now the whole lot seems to be blurry,” Tamana, who didn’t need to disclose her final identify, instructed CNN. “If the Taliban don’t permit us to return to high school, our future and our hopes could be crushed ceaselessly.”
Taliban leaders have repeatedly promised to respect ladies’s rights, insisting publicly that girls will play a outstanding position in society and have entry to schooling.
Whereas ladies have been allowed to proceed their college schooling, the Taliban has mandated the segregation of genders in school rooms and mentioned feminine college students, lecturers and workers should put on hijabs in accordance with the group’s interpretation of Sharia regulation.
UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore mentioned the group was “deeply nervous” women could be excluded from schooling. “Ladies can not, and should not, be left behind. It’s vital that each one women, together with older women, are in a position to resume their schooling with none additional delays. For that, we want feminine lecturers to renew educating,” she mentioned on Friday.
CNN’s Nic Robertson and Ingrid Formanek reported from Afghanistan, CNN’s Taylor Barnes reported from Atlanta and CNN’s Ivana Kottasová wrote from London.
