UN Urges Education Access For Afghan Girls, Says Restrictions Threaten Human Rights

(MENAFN- IANS) Kabul, Sep 8 (IANS) The United Nations on Monday called for equal education rights for girls in Afghanistan, stating that continued restrictions on education of women threaten human rights, development and the country's future.

UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) head Roza Utunbayeva marked the International Literacy Day by calling for access to education, especially for Afghan women and girls, Afghanistan's leading news agency Khaama Press reported. Speaking in Kabul on Monday, Otunbayeva said books are source of knowledge and a path to sustainable well-being, emphasising that equal access is important for Afghanistan's future.

UNAMA warned that Taliban's restrictions continue to bar girls for pursuing education in secondary schools and universities, a policy that now continues for fourth year. Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan, shortly they seized power in August 2021. The UN officials warned that restrictions on Afghan girls education undermines both human rights and development, leaving Afghanistan further isolated and unprepared for modern day realities.

UNESCO, which established International Literacy Day in 1967, stated that literacy now goes beyond reading and writing and called digital skills important in a world shaped by information technologies. In its statement, the UNESCO called for investment in digital literacy for every student around the world.

Earlier in August, a UN survey revealed that 90 per cent of people in Afghan support girls education despite Taliban's restrictions. The United Nations stated that more than 90 per cent of Afghans support girls right to education, four years after Taliban banned secondary and higher education for Afghan girls, Khaama Press reported.

The UN said that the findings were based on a survey of 2,000 respondents across Afghanistan, demonstrating overwhelming demand from people for education access. UN's Women's humanitarian action head Sofia Calltorp emphasised that Afghan families want their daughters to study despite restrictions imposed by Taliban. She also stressed the need for investment in women's mental health and healthcare, as exclusion and trauma continue to deepen.

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