Sima Samar: Taliban’s Five-Year Ban on Girls’ Secondary Education Causes Irreparable Damage

Kabul (Afghan Verified) - Sima Samar, former head of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, stated that the Taliban's five-year ban on girls above the sixth grade from attending school has inflicted irreparable damage on the country.

Speaking during an online meeting on the release of a report, Samar said the continued deprivation of education for girls is worsening living conditions in both cities and villages across Afghanistan.

She criticized the absence of serious public reaction to the education ban, contrasting it with large crowds that gather for executions and floggings. "People have not shown serious reaction to girls' education deprivation, but gather for executions and floggings," Samar said.

Samar also noted that men within families have failed to adequately support girls' right to education. She warned that human rights violations under Taliban rule must not be normalized.

The Taliban have prohibited girls above the sixth grade from secondary schools and revoked their access to universities and medical studies, according to Samar.

Human rights organizations describe the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls as "gender apartheid."