Former head of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, Sima Samar, says men in the country have not shown a serious response to the denial of education for girls and women.
Speaking at an online event, she said five years of educational deprivation has caused irreversible damage to Afghan society.
Samar warned that the continuation of this situation could further worsen living conditions in both urban and rural areas.
She added that while people gather to watch punishments such as floggings or executions, similar public reactions are not seen in response to the education ban on girls.
Samar also said that even within families, there has not been sufficient support for girls’ right to education.
She warned against allowing human rights violations in Afghanistan to become normalized.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have restricted girls’ education beyond grade six and banned women from universities, drawing widespread criticism from human rights organizations.