Female Students in Kabul Urge Islamic Emirate to Reopen Girls' Schools

Female students in Kabul have renewed calls on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to reopen schools for girls, voicing concerns over ongoing closures that have disrupted their education.

Mojdeh, a student who moved from Takhar to Kabul with her family to continue studies in courses, said: "Our request from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is to open the doors of schools to girls."

Sama, another student, stated: "Our request is that schools reopen so we can study. Afghan girls have no hope left and their only hope is this education and schooling."

Hasnia, who has completed sixth grade, expressed worry about being unable to progress further. "I request the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to open the doors of schools to girls, since they have big dreams," she said.

Women's rights activist Lamia Shirzai urged the immediate reopening of schools and universities at the start of the new year. "This must be done on the basis of the interests of the people of Afghanistan, so that this country does not fall behind in regional and global competitions for growth and development," she said.

Activists warn that the continued closures violate girls' right to education and pose serious challenges to an entire generation's future.

Schools and educational institutions for girls have remained closed since the political transformations in Afghanistan. Human rights and international organizations have emphasized that education is a basic human right and that depriving girls of it will lead to profound social, economic and cultural consequences.