UK Special Representative, UNAMA, Karzai Highlight Equal Opportunities for Afghan Women and Girls in Science
Richard Lindsay, the UK Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated on International Day of Women and Girls in Science that Afghanistan's future depends on equal opportunities. He said girls must be free to learn science and women free to work in the field. Lindsay noted on X that Afghanistan's all-girls robotics team demonstrates what progress is possible.
The United Nations marked 1,607 days since the Taliban banned girls' education. UNAMA stated that depriving Afghan girls of education paints a painful picture of the country's future and marked the day with "deep sorrow," citing closed educational institutions for girls.
Former President Hamid Karzai, on February 11, praised the role of Afghan women and girls in social life and urged them to strive for access to science, education, and participation in Afghanistan's development by any means possible. Karzai has previously called on the Taliban to open schools and other educational institutions to women and girls.
The Taliban has described the education ban as an internal matter and asked foreigners not to interfere, despite reactions from international organizations and countries, including Islamic ones.
Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Afghanistan under Taliban control at 169 out of 182 countries with a score of 16 out of 100, down one position from the previous year. Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat claimed decisive steps have been taken against corruption, calling the reports "speculative judgments" based on unreliable sources without field presence. He invited researchers to visit Afghanistan but provided no statistics on reduced corruption or specific actions.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that earthquake-affected families in eastern Afghanistan's remote mountainous areas remain in temporary shelters with limited heating, facing a critical need for winter aid. IOM staffer Zuhal Amin described challenges in delivering aid over narrow roads and hikes. IOM plans winter assistance for about 5,000 families, but at least 15,000 more require help amid funding shortfalls.
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ReliableUNDP Holds Digital Skills Training for Over 200 Youth, Especially Women, in Kabul
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ReliableUN Women: Women and Girls in Science Make the World Better
UN Women, on International Day of Women and Girls in Science, stated that women in science improve the world and called for equal opportunities, noting restrictions in countries like Afghanistan where girls have been barred from education for over four years.
ReliableUNICEF: Child Protection Centers in Crisis-Hit Areas Provide Security and Education
UNICEF highlighted that child protection centers in Afghanistan's crisis areas provide security, education and psychosocial support, helping identify at-risk children and prevent crisis-related psychological harm.