Hamid Karzai: Ban on Girls’ Education Is a “Major Obstacle” to the Country’s Progress

On Sunday (March 16), in a post on his social media platform X, he stated that while the new academic year is celebrated with hope, girls above the sixth grade have been waiting for the sound of their school bells for over three years.

Mr. Karzai described the ban on girls’ education as a “major obstacle” to societal progress and said this situation forces families and youth to leave the country.

He added that the continuation of this trend pushes Afghanistan toward regression and once again called on the Taliban to open the doors of schools and universities to girls so they too can contribute to the nation’s bright future.

Mr. Karzai wrote: “Education is the foundation of every country’s development and progress, and young people must be given the opportunity to learn and study in their own homeland.”

This comes as the Taliban, after seizing power, have closed schools above the sixth grade and universities to girls. Despite widespread criticism, the Taliban have not only refused to reverse this policy but have also intensified it.