Human Rights Watch Report: Ban on Girls’ Education has also harmed boys’ education

Bayan News – A recent report by Human Rights Watch indicates that the policies of the caretaker government in Kabul, which ban girls’ education, have also harmed boys’ education.

The 19-page report, recently published, calls on international organizations and the global community to collaborate in lifting the restrictions on girls’ education in Afghanistan.

The report states, “The Taliban have not banned education for boys beyond the sixth grade, but education is prohibited for girls and women. Their actions undermine access to education for all children and youth.”

According to the report, the educational bans imposed by the caretaker government in Kabul violate Afghanistan’s commitments under international laws, particularly the right of all children to receive an education. “The systematic discrimination by the Taliban against women and girls, of which the ban on girls’ education is just one aspect, also has detrimental effects on boys.”

The report further states that despite international condemnation of the ban on girls’ education, little attention has been paid to the harms inflicted on boys’ education.

According to the report, the quality of education in boys’ schools under the Islamic Emirate’s control has significantly declined.

The report highlights an increase in punishment of boys in Afghan schools and states that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has deprived female teachers of teaching boys and instead introduced male teachers, which has had a negative impact on how boys are educated.

Officials of the caretaker government in Kabul have not yet responded to this report.

However, it has been nearly two years since the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan, and despite international pressure, it is still unclear when schools will reopen for girls.