A senior member of the Taliban has urged the group’s leader to end the ban on education for Afghan women and girls, calling it unjustifiable. Sher Abbas Stanikzai, who works in the Foreign Ministry, made these comments during a speech in Khost province on Saturday. He explained that there is no reason to stop girls and women from getting an education. He emphasized that denying education to half the population—about 20 million people—is wrong and not supported by Islamic law, but rather reflects personal choices.
The Taliban currently prevents girls from attending school after they finish sixth grade. Reports also indicate that women are no longer allowed to train in medical fields. In Afghanistan, women can only receive treatment from female doctors, but the ban on medical courses has yet to be officially acknowledged.
Stanikzai stated, “We must open the doors of education,” highlighting that denying education is an injustice. He has previously advocated for women’s education, but this is his first direct appeal to the Taliban’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, asking for a policy change.
Ibraheem Bahiss from the Crisis Group noted that Stanikzai’s recent comments are important because they challenge the Taliban’s current policy on education. Additionally, Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, called on Muslim leaders to speak out against the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ education at a conference earlier this month.
The United Nations has stated that it is difficult to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government while they maintain bans on education and employment for women. No country currently recognizes the Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan, though nations like Russia are starting to build connections with them, and India is also developing relations with Afghan authorities.
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