School girls protest school closure in eastern City

CURSORY :Dozens of girls protest in the eastern City of Afghan, following the closing down of school.

Dozens of girls have protested the closing down of secondary schools in afghan. The girls started the protest on Saturday after the Taliban authorities shut down schools few days after it resumed, says activist and resident.

In the previous week , five government secondary schools in the eastern province of Paktia restarted classes after hundreds of girls and tribal leaders demanded they reopen.

But when the students went to classes on Saturday, they were told to return home , a women’s rights activist and resident said.

Following this development,a protest was organized by activist Yasmin. Dressed in their school uniforms — a white headscarf and black shalwar kameez — the girls marched through the centre of Gardez to protest the closure.

The Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions on girls and women to comply with their strict understanding of Islam since returning to power in August last year — effectively squeezing them out of public life.

In March,all girls secondary schools were closed, just few days after it was opened for the first time under their rule.

The girls marched around the city in a peaceful protest , while the residents and shopkeepers watched .

It is reported, that the Taliban, did not allow the media to cover the protest and protesters mobile phones were smashed in an attempt to stop the protest footage from being taken, as confirmed by two residents.

The officials however maintain that, the shutdown is just a technical issue and schools will reopen once they establish a curriculum that is based on Islamic rules.

A few public schools continue to operate in parts of the country following pressure from local leaders and families. They, however , remain shut in most provinces, including the capital Kabul as well as Kandahar, the de facto power centre of the Taliban.

Around three million girls are banned from attending school in Afghanistan, as stated by UNICEF.

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