![Afghan burqa-clad women hold placards as they protest for their right to education in Mazar-e-Sharif on August 12. [Atef Aryan/AFP]](/cnmi_st/images/2023/08/18/43546-33r24yl-highres-739_416.webp)
UNITED NATIONS -- Engineering student Somaya Faruqi had to flee Afghanistan to continue her studies two years ago after more than 1.1 million girls and women were banned from schools and universities.
The 21-year-old, now living in the United States, is the face of a campaign launched Tuesday (August 15) by the United Nations (UN) Education Cannot Wait global fund to combat the crisis.
Under the motto #AfghanGirlsVoices, the operation is spearheading a global call to respect all Afghan girls' and women's right to education.
Countless girls and women have already had to leave the country to continue their education.
![Somaya Faruqi, former captain of the Afghan girls' robotics team, is now the face of the UN's Education Cannot Wait campaign launched August 15 under the motto #AfghanGirlsVoices. Faruqi poses for a photograph posted on social media February 18. [Somaya Faruqi/X (formerly Twitter)]](/cnmi_st/images/2023/08/18/43547-fpodjbfxsaafx99-739_416.webp)
Somaya Faruqi, former captain of the Afghan girls' robotics team, is now the face of the UN's Education Cannot Wait campaign launched August 15 under the motto #AfghanGirlsVoices. Faruqi poses for a photograph posted on social media February 18. [Somaya Faruqi/X (formerly Twitter)]
Faruqi, for example, finished high school in Qatar after she and nine other girls from her robotics team, "The Afghan Dreamers," left Afghanistan in 2021.
Now, she is beginning her second year studying engineering at Sacramento State University in California, thanks to a scholarship from Qatar.
"This campaign is meant to bring the attention of the world again to the girls in Afghanistan, and [their] education issues," Faruqi told AFP by telephone.
"Afghanistan seems to be forgotten," she added.
'Gender apartheid'
The near-total exclusion of women from Afghan public life, including in education and employment, has become one of the major sticking points preventing the international community from offering aid and official recognition to Afghanistan's rulers.
"Dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship ... will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls, among other things, are actually supported," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Washington on Tuesday.
Conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are the "worst globally," a UN report found last month, saying that the policies in place could amount to a "gender apartheid."
In fact, the state of women's rights in Afghanistan "should count as a crime against humanity, and it should be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court," the UN special envoy for global education, former British prime minister Gordon Brown, told reporters during a video meeting Tuesday.
'Education key to freedom'
In September 2021, the authorities banned girls from attending secondary school, before closing university doors to them in December 2022 and then heavily restricting their participation in the workforce.
For Faruqi, these circumstances cannot stand: "We have to make sure that [girls and women] have access to equal opportunities, and they have access to education, because education is the key to freedom," she told AFP.
"Girls have been banned from public spaces: schools, gyms, parks; there is nothing allowed for them to do; just to stay at home," she explained in a UN statement Tuesday.
For many families, the only path forward for their daughters is marriage, "regardless of their consent," she told AFP, adding that many of her own classmates have been forced to marry.
"Depression is widespread. The rate of suicide for girls has gone up a lot in the last two years. It is tragic," she said in the statement.
The Education Cannot Wait campaign will aim to raise global awareness of the issue via social media into next month, amplifying the voices of Afghan girls and women just as world leaders gather for a UN General Assembly session September 18 and 19.
Sheikh Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, minister of enjoining good and forbidding evil of the Taliban, made provocative statements about women's hijab during his visit to Khost province. In his speech at a large meeting, he accused women that during the Republican regime, Americans disrespected Afghan women in their camps. In the same meeting, Anas Haqqani, one of the prominent members of the Taliban, also emphasized on a gentle behavior of the Taliban officials with the people. Not only are the Taliban not united now, but in the past three years they have made different statements on different issues, which has made people suspicious. And this causes people to distance themselves from them day by day. Earlier they said that now is the Islamic system, people will get their rights on time, but all those words have been proven to be false and corruption is increasing day by day.
Reply26 Comment
The truth is that the United Nations itself is in the hand of the great powers of the world. For some time now, I do not believe at all in the competences and independence of the United Nations. From Benon Sevan to Mahmoud Mosteri, Akhdar Ebrahimi, to Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Afghanistan, all of them have no authority. They just do bureaucracy, write reports and provide explainations, they can't do anything else. When a person looks at the situation of Gaza as how the people are being killed and injured in a horrible way, women, girls, children are killed and injured one after another, they are not even given bread and water, and they are being bombarded by the airplanes of the Zionist terrorists, one will realize that man really hates man and the time has reached to the day of judgement. When it comes to the education of Afghan girls and the work and duties of women, unfortunately, the United Nations and major world powers, including the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and especially Afghanistan's evil neighbors, Iran and Pakistan, were and are complicit in these crimes. Although the whole world understands that the Taliban leaders are supported by Pakistan's intelligence agency, and all of them were based in Quetta and Peshawar, but neither the United Nations, nor the United States, nor others, asked Pakistan to explain why they kill both Afghan soldiers and the international coalition soldiers? Anyway,
Reply26 Comment
In the last two decades, a large number of civil and educational organizations have been established in Afghanistan, creating a relatively free atmosphere, but after the fall of the Republican system, the Taliban imposed many restrictions on women and deprived them of going to work, education, going to the parks, sports... In the last two decades, the general mindset towards women had changed and women were considered so important in the fabric of a society, while now they are not even seen as human beings. Just last week, the Taliban soldiers arrested dozens of women and girls on the streets of Kabul and took them to military centers. Afghanistan is a traditional society and no one treats girls like this, but the Taliban violated these principles of Afghan society. In my opinion, in the entire lifetime of these girls, no one will marry under any circumstances, especially young boys. This way, the Taliban ruined the lives of these girls and they may not see happiness for the rest of their lives. If the Taliban were really Muslim and respected the Afghan culture, they would never have done such a work. The Taliban twists Islam in their favor and those who are not in the favor of the Taliban they turn them away from their path.
Reply26 Comment
In my opinion, the main culprit of all this disorder related to the situation of Afghan women is the previous government of Afghanistan. During the republic era, members of the criminal gang of the Northern Alliance led by Abdullah Abdullah and Abdur Rashid Dostum prevented the progress of the republican system. We remember well that Abdullah Abdullah, who was actually a member of Shura-e-Nizar group led by Ahmad Shah Massoud, created controversy in the 2014 elections, and took months to accept the results of the elections. That is when the election results changed in Abdullah's favor and made him a partner in the government. Ashraf Ghani, who did not want the country to go into crisis again, allowed Abdullah to become his government partner. Even after establishing a government called National Unity Government, Abdullah was still against the recruitment made by President Ashraf Ghani. This way, the government system was slowly shaken, and the attention of the government and the rulers shifted from the basic rights of the people, including women's rights, children's rights, labor rights... to the protection of individual rights. On one hand, the members of the Shura-e-Nizar or the former Northern Alliance shared the government with Ashraf Ghani, on the other hand, Abdullah Abdullah considered himself a sharer of power, and even after that, the Shura-e-Nizar was the government's opposition. With all these shares, which the Northern Alliance shamelessly took, it still did not al
Reply26 Comment
I heard the words of the Taliban's Acting Minister of the Ministry of Public Health, who was speaking there during his trip to Uruzgan. He says that Afghanistan is faced with a serious shortage of female doctors. There are dozens of female doctors in Uruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Zabul, and the entire southwest zone. They are such hypocritical and humiliated people that they are closing girls' schools. They are closing universities. Then, how will they become female doctors? This is likewise similar to any mine extracted by mining the earth. One thing is certain: if these people remain in power and their attitude towards Afghan girls and women remains the same, you will witness the consequences of this issue even after one or two decades. Today, it is found in several provinces, and you will find it throughout Afghanistan.
Reply26 Comment
The current government of Afghanistan is obliged to provide educational facilities for Afghan female students. Afghan girls are Muslim and have the right to get education. Yesterday, I heard a discussion of the Acting Minister of Health who said that there are no female doctors in the provinces of Zabul, Ghazni, and the treatment and diagnosis of women are performed by male doctors. I am telling Taliban that you respect the principles of Islam so much, but Islam says that no alien man (one who can marry a woman) should touch a woman (that can be married). Why do male doctors treat women? Aren't you ashamed of your conscience? don't you fear God? that you have caused people problems. Opening schools and educational centers in the country is a must, the Taliban must know that the 21st century is not the first century. People of the world have advanced a lot and you are living in darkness.
Reply26 Comment
Life has become bitter for Afghan girls. Our dreams are not fulfilled. In our country, we live like prisoners, we are punished without committing any crime. Why? Our sin is that we are women. Death is hundreds of times better than this life. With regards, Lima
ReplyIn fact, the life of girls has become very difficult in terms of education. Most of the girls I see are psychologically affected and the series continues. Our hope from the ruling system is to open the doors of education and end these sad days.
Reply26 Comment
Intelligence interferes even in people's private lives. If a girl goes to the market, she is followed by the intelligence without any guilt or reason! Life has turned to hell for us.
Reply26 Comment
A delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has been in Afghanistan for a week and is busy talking with Taliban officials about moderation in Islam and the education and work of girls and women. In a statement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, it is stated that the members of this delegation met and discussed with Maulavi Habibullah Agha, Acting Minister of Education, and Maulavi Nida Mohammad Nadim, Acting Ministry of Higher Education of the Taliban. The aforementioned board emphasized the education of women and men and said that "both sides emphasized that education is a Shariah obligation for men and women with the consensus of Islamic scholars." A part of the statement says that, "the delegation has emphasized the need for all-out efforts to enable boys and girls to enroll in all levels of education and expertise needed by the people of Afghanistan at this critical historical stage." Based on this statement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Board has expressed the readiness of the member countries of this organization to support Afghanistan in this area. Tariq Ali Bakhit, the special representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Afghanistan, who is a member of this delegation, also met and discussed with Amir Khan Motaqi, acting foreign minister of the Taliban. Based on the statement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in this meeting, he talked about the results of the Islamic scholars' trip to Afghanistan, meetings wi
ReplySo far, they are not recognized; however, they have made the life hell for the people, from food, clothing, commuting, hair cutting to the critical and economic situation of the poor people! If they are recognized, they will surely bury the people alive.
Reply26 Comment
It's great...!
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Education is the right of all people in a country without gender discrimination.
Reply26 Comment
Hi for every one Afghanistan is in bad condition women’s sacrifice in this condition so we need for this organization to support us
Reply26 Comment
Where a woman does not have the right to live, she does not have the right to study, work, and go out, then what hope is left for the future and life?
Reply26 Comment
In general, life has become meaningless for Afghan women and girls! The people's economy has reached to zero, the price of water and electricity has increased from AFN 800 to AFN 20,000 at once. The government is tyranny. Everything is forced and implemented by using force. People do not have the right to go to barber-shops even to trim their hair and beards. If they go to barber, the barber will be beaten to such an extent that he will not have the courage to dress another customer's hair. If a woman is in a taxi, the driver is being beaten. If a woman wanders around without a close male relative, she is being imprisoned. Lessons, books, schools, universities and courses are absolutely forbidden for girls. Girls can see nothing but death. Because they are prisoners in their lives and breathing is a crime for them. So life has no meaning, death is much better.
Reply26 Comment
An Afghan girl whose dreams should be buried in the ground! With the arrival of the Taliban, even breathing is forbidden for us. Work, study and even sightseeing are prohibited for us because of the crime of being a woman.
Reply26 Comment
I am an Afghan girl whose all dreams crushed. Two years passed since the Taliban took over power, and closed the gates of universities. I cannot go abroad to continue my studies, nor can I accept marriage with someone, because these are not my dreams. I was not a girl to give in to life's problems. I was not a girl to be upset by people's words. I was a strong girl who always fought for my dreams. I had a wish-book. When I reached a dream, I would crossed it with a red pen and started to try to achieve the next dreams. I always dreamed of becoming a successful psychologist. I dreamed of finishing my bachelor's degree with the best grades and get accepted for a US scholarship. I should go to a university where psychology has emerged and study there. To walk into the first psychology room that was built, to see closely the pen that Wilhelm Wundt marked his destiny with. All my dreams remained just a dream, that's it.
Reply26 Comment
Ali
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The National Resistance Front claimed on Monday that it had killed "two Taliban fighters" and wounded "more than six others" in separate attacks in Kabul and Takhar in the past 24 hours. The Taliban has not yet commented on these claims of this armed opposition group. The National Resistance Front wrote on X network that on Sunday night (27 August), forces of the Front attacked the Taliban camps in Shakardara district of Kabul Province and Farkhar districts and killed two Taliban and injured four others. According to this group, the first attack was carried out on a Taliban intelligence patrol car near Kandak-e-Hussainkot in Siab Qoli village in Shakardara district of Kabul province, in which one Talib was killed and two others were injured. The second attack took place on a Taliban camp located at the eastern gate of Taleqan city, killing one Taliban and injuring two others. At the same time, the third guerrilla attack of the National Resistance Front forces was carried out on the headquarters of the police command and the center of Farkhar district of Takhar province. According to this front, "several Taliban were injured." The National Resistance Front says that its fourth attack was carried out by placing a mine on the path of Taliban military vehicles on the roadside between the 19th district of Kabul city and Deh Sabz district of this province, as a result of which two Taliban were injured and their military equipment was destroyed. Afghanistan International canno
Reply26 Comment
Afghan women have the right to speak to all those who can help them, such as the United Nations and other related organizations... I just read a letter that the Taliban barred dozens of girls from going to study in the United Arab Emirates. Based on the information, Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor, a businessman from the United Arab Emirates and the founder of the Al-Habtoor Group, said that the ruling regime of the Taliban in Kabul today barred dozens of Afghan students from going to the United Arab Emirates to study there due to his efforts. He adds that this measure of the Taliban has made him hopeless. Al-Habtoor said that with the help of Dubai University, he had provided scholarships to these girls. Still, when these dozens of girls wanted to go to the United Arab Emirates today, they were prevented from traveling at the Kabul airport, and their bags were taken back from the plane. So far, the Taliban have not said anything about this. Still, before this, they had prevented some girls and women from traveling alone and said that they did not have a mahram, but today, as the girls were going, they were accompanied by mahrams, too. According to media reports, with the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan, about 2.5 million girls have been deprived of education, and hundreds of thousands of others have suffered from psychological problems or committed suicide. But the Taliban do not care about the Afghan girls; they do not look at their illness or illiteracy. Since then, the Taliban
Reply26 Comment
The United Nations' organization itself is dependent on others. It can't do anything by itself. All these things are done by America, Russia, China, Britain. Whatever these four or five countries want, that same thing is being done. Women's rights, human rights, children's rights... all these are mere slogans. In fact, all these issues are related to political and economic interests. What I am saying is not imaginary. I will give two examples and you may compare whether I said it right or not?! A few years ago, an American was killed in Pakistan. The American government asked Pakistan to hand over his killer to them or put other conditions, whatever the case, the relationship between America and Pakistan got tense. Then Saudi Arabia intervened and said that [based on Sharia] the price of a human's head is a hundred camels, and according to today's calculation, it makes $ 3 million or whatever they have calculated. Because dirty Pakistan didn't have that money or didn't want it, Saudi went ahead and said that because of its goodwill, Saudi paid the money. That is, America put a lot of pressure on Pakistan for that case. But while the Pakistani army and intelligence were killing hundreds of Afghans every day by using criminal groups, what was America's response to Pakistan? Nothing. And if not America, with the technology it has, can understand where Hibatullah is and where Baradar and others are, no country cares about Afghans and especially Afghan women. I ask the stupid and i
Reply26 Comment
How to empower women? In modern society, men and women should have equal opportunities for employment, professional development, and personal growth, regardless of their economic status. Women's contribution to the workforce and society is essential and should be valued and appreciated as much as men. It is important to promote gender equality and reject any belief that limits or promotes women's abilities based on their economic circumstances. Women should be encouraged to pursue their dreams, careers, and self-development without discrimination or judgment. Everyone should have the right to work, develop their skills and contribute to society, regardless of gender inequality. By creating an inclusive and comfortable environment, we can empower women to realize and develop their potential and help build a fairer society for all.
Reply26 Comment
This fight will surely pay off. This fight was necessary, it was wonderfully achieved. This voice should be heard and the whole nation should join with this caravan. Banning girls' education is basically banning a bright and prosperous future. The descendants of Baghdadi do not want Afghanistan to develop like other countries, men and women should know their rights and defend them. This country will not have a good day until that the girls get the opportunity to study like before.
Reply26 Comment
In Afghanistan, not only Afghan women demand education, but except for a few high-ranking government leaders, all other people want to allow their women to receive education, and everyone wants the women of the family to get a Master's and Ph.D. degree in modern education in addition to religious education. I wish every Afghan's wish would be fulfilled, other minor issues would be left aside, and decisions will be taken for big things. For example, the construction of large factories in the country on a large scale, where millions of unemployed people can be engaged in work, the mining where technical and professional engineers work, construction of large, well-equipped hospitals so that Afghan women and men are not beaten by the police of other countries at the borders, and opening of many of such large and small projects that can prove beneficial for the entire Afghan nation now and in the future.
Reply26 Comment
Afghan girls are facing a difficult situation. They have fallen into the cage of sharia. They have become helpless. They have no choice. They are sitting hopeless at their homes with thousands of wishes. Some Afghan girls are facing with mental condition. Some of them got married without their consent. Some of them have committed suicide. Afghan girls are facing a dire situation, a situation that no human wants to face. Their rights have been violated, they have been ignored. Afghan girls need hand for getting up. We request the current government to stop tormenting the Afghan sisters and daughters, and help them in a humanitarian sense and give them their rights.
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