UN Secretary General has said that the ban on higher education for Afghan girls will have devastating effects in the future
UN Secretary General has said that the ban on higher education for Afghan girls will have devastating effects
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement on the 20th saying he was "extremely concerned" by the Taliban interim government's announcement that it would suspend higher education for girls. It will have devastating consequences for the future." He made the announcement through a spokesman.
The denial of education does more than violate the equal rights of women and girls," Guterres said. He told the interim government that she would "encourage women and girls to have equal access to all levels of education". Mr. Guterres' spokesman also said at a regular press conference on the same day, "This is a broken promise by the Taliban.
The suspension of higher education for girls came as the United Nations Security Council held its meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on the same day.
“The Taliban should not expect to be a legitimate member of the international community unless they respect the rights and freedoms of all Afghans, especially women and girls,” US Ambassador to the United Nations said at the meeting. . British Ambassador to the United Nations Woodward also condemned.
The Taliban, which took power in August last year, initially sought recognition of the regime by the international community and emphasized that it would guarantee women's rights to work and education. However, the trend against it continues, and no country has yet approved it.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation on the ground is deteriorating. “97% of the population lives in poverty, two-thirds of the population needs humanitarian assistance to survive, and 20 million people are suffering from severe hunger,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Griffiths. I am facing it," he said.
The Taliban are seeking to allow representation in the United Nations. However, on the 16th, based on the report of the Credentials Committee, the UN General Assembly decided to postpone the decision for the second time since last year. Based on the regulations, the former government's acting ambassador to the United Nations will remain in office for the time being. The Taliban's request was effectively rejected.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Brinken said in a statement on Monday that he "condemned in the strongest terms" the Taliban's announcement to suspend girls' higher education, adding: "This decision will have grave consequences. warned.
Education is a human right and essential for the growth and stability of the Afghan economy," said Brinken. The suspension of higher education for girls "will impose unacceptable restrictions on Afghan women and girls, and will continue to make it very difficult for them to find work to support their families." We will continue to provide unwavering support to the people of Afghanistan, including
UN spokesman criticizes Taliban's 'broken promise' to halt girls' tertiary education
UN Secretary-General António Guterres spokesman Dujarik said at a regular news conference on the 20th that the Taliban transitional government, an Islamist group in Afghanistan, had announced that it would suspend higher education for girls. criticized.
“Since coming to power, the Taliban have curtailed not only education but also women’s access to public spaces and participation in public debate,” the spokesman said. "It's hard to imagine how the country can develop and meet its challenges.
Taliban halt girls' higher education, direct public, private universities in Afghanistan
Afghanistan's Islamist Taliban interim government has announced that it will suspend higher education for girls. reported by local media. Since taking power last August, the Taliban have been criticized both at home and abroad for suspending secondary education for girls. Suspension of higher education will inevitably lead to further backlash.
The Taliban's interim government's higher education ministry has issued a written directive to the country's public and private universities to immediately stop educating girls, according to Reuters. "Based on the decision of the Cabinet," it said.
Until now, the Taliban have allowed women to attend college on the condition that men and women go to school on separate days. Abdul Baki Haqqani, who served as Minister of Higher Education until October this year, said in an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun in August, "We believe that education is for everyone." showed a positive attitude towards
However, Taliban Supreme Leader Ayatollah Akhnzada sacked Haqqani and appointed Nida Mohammad Nadim as his successor. According to media reports, Nadim opposed girls' education, saying it was "against Afghan values," raising concerns that girls' educational opportunities would be further restricted. There are voices within the Taliban calling for girls' education to be implemented, and conflicts within the Taliban may deepen.
Taliban orders NGOs to stop working female employees, following suspension of university education
The economy ministry of Afghanistan's Islamist group Taliban interim government has ordered domestic and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Afghanistan to stop female employees from working. The Taliban just suspended women's college education on the 20th, raising a backlash against the successive suppression of women's rights.
According to the economy ministry, the deadline is "until further instructions" and any violations will result in suspension of the permit. They say it's because some women don't comply with the Taliban's rules about "hijab" covering their hair.
A spokesman for the economy ministry told Reuters news agency that the target would be groups affiliated with ACBAR, which coordinates domestic and foreign NGOs operating in Afghanistan. Although the United Nations is not included in this organization, it has developed support activities in cooperation with NGOs that are members of ACBAR.
In Afghanistan, it is customary for women to avoid contact with men who are not relatives, and there are concerns that the suspension of work by female staff will limit support for women. The International Relief Committee (IRC), an international NGO, posted on Twitter, "More than 3,000 IRC staff (working in Afghanistan) are women. Female staff are essential for delivering humanitarian aid to Afghanistan."
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a statement on Wednesday, calling it a "violation of women's most basic rights and a clear violation of humanitarian principles."
Cricketers protest against Taliban's ban on women's college education
The Afghan Islamist group Taliban's decision to suspend women's college education has sparked protests both at home and abroad. Not only are female students continuing to protest in front of the university, but players of the national sport, cricket, are also voicing their condemnation. The Taliban have become increasingly isolated internationally, with statements calling for the withdrawal of their policies from other Muslim countries.
"We must acknowledge that our society and country desperately need women's education, because a bright future for our country is ensured by the education and efforts of both (men and women)." Mohammad Nabi, former captain of the Afghan national cricket team, said on Facebook:
Other cricketers also took to Twitter with the hashtag "#LetAfghanGirlsLearn" and ``stand in solidarity with Afghan sisters and daughters''.
According to media reports, female university students protested in the capital city of Kabul on the 22nd, demanding the withdrawal of the suspension of education. In addition, some male students have boycotted exams and some faculty members have handed in their resignations in protest.
In September last year, the Taliban interim government issued a notice banning demonstrations without prior authorization from the authorities. A report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said protests had dwindled after a series of detentions of demonstrators opposing Taliban policies. With social media posts claiming that some demonstrators have been detained, it is unclear whether the spread of protests will actually affect Taliban policy.
On the other hand, Muslim countries have also been criticized. Turkey's Foreign Minister Cavusior called the Taliban's decision to suspend women's university education "neither Islamic nor humane," according to the Associated Press. The foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have also called for the withdrawal of the policy.
In Afghanistan, schools were closed in various places due to the chaos caused by the collapse of the previous government in August last year, but the Taliban resumed school attendance for boys around September of the same year. Girls can now attend primary school, but the reopening of secondary school has been postponed. With the suspension of university education this time, women will only be able to receive school education up to elementary school.
Afghan refugees who have evacuated to Japan cannot return home Some calls for expanded support
It's been over a year since the Islamist Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 800 Afghans, including local embassy staff, had evacuated to Japan by August this year with the support of the Japanese government. However, living in Japan, where the language and culture are different, is not easy. Some of the supporters are saying, "Support for permanent settlement should be expanded."
An Afghan man who used to work as a driver for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Kabul has no good memories of the Taliban. Kabul has witnessed numerous Taliban suicide bombings and shootings. One of his neighbors was taken by the Taliban and never returned. So when the Taliban overran Kabul last August 15th, I was horrified. "Afghans who work with foreigners are considered spies. I will never be forgiven." he thought so.
A man's dream was modest. He lives a normal life with his family and spends his days reading his favorite books. However, with the Taliban's reinstatement, it "disappeared." The priority was to save his life.
After that, I moved from one relative's house to another. Because the Taliban may come to your home. His children could no longer go to school, and his wife, who was a teacher, could no longer continue working.
I decided to go to Japan last October. She had contacted JICA and heard that she could enter Japan via Qatar. He fled his homeland with his wife and three children. "We can live safely here." A few days later, when he landed in Japan, his sense of relief was welling up.
Life in Japan was completely different from Afghanistan. His job changed from being a driver to maintaining farms for JICA training. He can't speak Japanese well, and he still doesn't understand Japanese life and culture. His wife, who started working at a restaurant, says, "It's hard because it's a completely different job. I want to be a teacher again, but it's difficult to be a teacher in Japan."
Local JICA staff who fled to Japan are continuing to work in Japan on the assumption that they will return to their original duties once the office in Afghanistan reopens, but there is no prospect of reopening. The man said, "Of course I want to go back when Afghanistan becomes peaceful. But I can't go back as long as the Taliban are here. I'm here in Japan, so I want to do my best for the future."
Among those who fled to Japan, there are those who are psychologically driven by an uncertain life.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 170 people were accepted by the embassy staff and their families, but as the Japanese embassy in Afghanistan resumed some operations, some returned to work. On the other hand, the employment relationship was terminated at the end of August because it was inexplicable to continue paying salaries for those who remained in Japan. According to supporters, many of them have been recognized as refugees and are looking for employment, but there are also cases where the Public Employment Security Office has told them, ``If you can't speak Japanese, there is almost no chance of finding a job.''
Reiko Ogawa, a professor of immigration studies at Chiba University, said, "Embassy and JICA local staff and former international students are people who feel that their lives are in danger because of their involvement in Japan. Japanese language education, housing, employment, and children's education are necessary, but such support is inadequate, and most of the settlement schemes are left up to the private sector. I wonder how far they were prepared to settle in Japan." She also touched on the fact that local governments are providing support to Ukrainians who have been evacuated by the Russian invasion. We should clarify support for the government and create a transparent system."
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