Kabul— The European Union (EU) has emphasized that access to education for girls is fundamental to Afghanistan’s long-term stability and economic progress, issuing its statement as schools resumed four days ago following the winter break.
However, girls above grade 6 continue to be barred from classrooms, marking the fourth year of this restriction.
In a post on its website on Sunday, the EU’s Afghanistan office argued that women with education bring critical skills and knowledge, laying the groundwork for a more resilient and independent country, and pledged its support for their learning rights.
The reopening aligned with the start of the 1404 academic year, yet the ban on older girls persists. Amnesty International joined the call this week, pressing the Taliban to end the policy, which it labeled a discriminatory breach of human rights.
“The new school year has begun, but girls past sixth grade are still shut out—an indefensible denial of their basic right to education,” the organization stated.
Meanwhile, UNICEF reported that an additional 400,000 girls will miss schooling this year, bringing the total number of secondary and high school-aged girls affected to 2.2 million, underscoring the deepening impact of the ongoing exclusion.
