Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has stated in a recent message that education is a fundamental human right; however, millions of children and adolescents around the world are deprived of access to education due to poverty, discrimination, armed conflict, displacement, and natural disasters.
Mr. Guterres wrote on his official X account that at least 272 million children and young people worldwide do not have access to education.
Emphasizing the importance of inclusive education, the UN Secretary-General called for the creation of “inclusive, resilient, and innovative” education systems for all children and adolescents across the globe.
While Antonio Guterres stresses the importance of education for children and young people, the current authorities in Afghanistan have deprived women and girls of education since taking power. Most recently, they have also closed medical institutes to girls and women, despite the country’s healthcare sector facing a severe shortage of personnel.
These actions by the current authorities have resulted in millions of female students being excluded from education.
In addition, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public bathhouses, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian (mahram), and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.
The United Nations has previously emphasized that the systematic deprivation of girls from education constitutes a clear violation of human rights, and that its long-term consequences will affect not only Afghanistan but the wider region as well.
