Former Afghan president Karzai urges Taliban to reopen schools for girls

Afghanistan's former President Hamid Karzai has raised concerns over the closure of schools for girls, above grade 6, stating that the people of Afghanistan want their girls to return to schools.

Afghanistan's former President Hamid Karzai has raised concerns over the closure of schools for girls, above grade 6, by the Taliban regime, stating that the people of Afghanistan want their girls to return to schools.

"There is no way... that the country can live without our girls going to school. It can't be. The Afghan people will not allow that and I am sure the schools for girls will reopen because that is what the Afghan people want and want clearly," Karzai said as cited by Tolo News.

The Taliban has received constant backlash from other countries as well owing to its decision to shut schools for girls from grades 7 to 12 and it has been about 120 days since Afghan girls have been barred from going to school.

Several Afghan clerics, notable politicians and members of the civil society have urged the Taliban to consider the reopening of schools for the female students and grant them access to education, reported Tolo News.

Further, Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns that banning girls from going to school will lead to a rise in early marriages for them.

Associate Director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, Heather Barr said that thousands of Afghan girls have been denied education for almost a year, emphasizing that blocking them from receiving education will become the cause of child marriage and forced marriage.

"They are imposing a new law with each passing day, but there is a serious will to reopen the schools," said Naveeda Khurasani, a women's rights activist as reported by Tolo News.

Earlier, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that the closing of secondary and high schools for girl students is a serious issue.

It has also planned on paying a two-month emergency cash support of about 200,000 to the teachers across Afghanistan and has provided over 35 million textbooks in the country so far.