On Saturday morning, dozens of people, mostly women, took part in a demonstration outside the Ministry of Education in Kabul, Afghanistan, to protest the nonreopening of secondary schools for girls, which correspond to Italy’s middle and high schools. Since late August, when the Taliban regained power, girls’ secondary schools that were scheduled to reopen on Wednesday to mark the first day of the Afghan school year had been closed, but remained closed.
Video: Girls, teachers and women’s rights activists protest in Kabul against the closure of girls’ schools beyond the 6th grade.#TOLO news pic.twitter.com/NEsXyOUOLc
TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) March 26, 2022
The announcement of the reopening was made last week by the Department of Education following pressure from the international community to restore women’s access to all levels of education. In fact, so far only elementary schools, i.e. elementary schools, and universities have been reopened. Then, on Wednesday morning, many schoolgirls across the country went to school believing they were finally back in class, but only found out about the government’s decision upon their arrival.
«Education is our right! Open the doors of the girls’ schools!”, the demonstrators shouted on Saturday morning. One teacher told the BBC she was willing to die to defend the freedom of women who want to go to school: “We are here for our daughters’ right to an education. Without that right, we might as well be dead.”
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and established a new regime, the protests, attended mostly by women, have received extensive media coverage, but are still considered an exceptional event due to the Talibanimposed curtailment of women’s rights.
During the first Taliban regime, between 1996 and 2001, women after the age of 12 were not allowed to study, work outside the home, ride bicycles, motorbikes and cars, use cosmetics and jewellery, have contact with men other than husband or relatives, or going out without a male relative to accompany them.