A group of female students at medical institutes in Herat have protested against the recent decision of the interim government, stating that they “will not give up their rights.”
On Thursday, December 6, they spontaneously gathered in front of the provincial governor’s office and condemned the closure of health institutes to female students, chanting slogans such as “Rights, Justice, Education.”
The protesting students raised slogans like “We will not give up our rights,” “Education is our right,” “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave,” and “Rights, Justice, and Education.”
They called on the interim government officials to revoke the decision banning girls from studying in medical institutes.
The protesting girls wrote their slogans in three languages: Dari, Pashto, and English.
This protest comes at a time when the current government has recently closed all health institutes to girls until further notice.
The government’s decision has sparked negative global reactions.
Stephan Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, expressed concern over the decree prohibiting girls from studying in medical institutes in Afghanistan, stating that this order will have a detrimental impact on the country’s health system and development.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, also expressed his shock at the ban on girls’ education in medical institutes and urged the Taliban to lift this prohibition.
The interim government had previously banned girls’ education at secondary and high school levels as well as at universities.
The current government’s restrictions have left millions of female students without access to education.
In addition, women have been prohibited from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, working in domestic and international NGOs, and even at UN offices in Afghanistan.
