Nasir Ahmad Faiq, the acting representative of Afghanistan at the United Nations, has stated that the policies of the caretaker government have confronted an entire generation of Afghan youth with an uncertain and dark future.
Mr. Faiq made these remarks at the 63rd session of the UN Commission for Social Development in New York, noting that Afghanistan is experiencing one of the most severe social and economic crises in its history, 30 years after the Copenhagen Declaration, which has plunged millions into poverty and completely excluded women and girls from public life.
He emphasized at the meeting that education is the foundation of social and economic progress, but in Afghanistan, this foundation is systematically being destroyed.
He pointed to the deprivation of Afghan girls and women from education and work, adding, “This gender apartheid is not only a human rights catastrophe but also an economic crisis.”
The acting representative of Afghanistan at the United Nations stated that no country can develop when half of its population is sidelined.
Additionally, Nasir Ahmad Faiq mentioned that the ban on girls studying in medical institutes poses a risk to countless lives and will increase maternal mortality rates.
He warned, “If we do not take action, the future generation of Afghanistan will be a generation without critical thinking, without opportunity, and without hope. We must provide access to quality education, modern skills, and economic opportunities to preserve Afghanistan’s future.”
Mr. Faiq asserted that the international community should not remain indifferent to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, and the people of Afghanistan, especially women, girls, and youth, should not be forgotten.
Since regaining control over Afghanistan, the caretaker government has banned girls above the sixth grade from attending school and subsequently closed universities to female students. In a recent move, they have also prohibited girls from studying in medical institutes, thus completely depriving them of access to formal education.
This action by the current Afghan government has resulted in millions of schoolgirls being unable to receive an education.
In addition, women and girls have been barred from attending 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.
