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Today, UN Women is releasing new data which shows that, despite this ban, the vast majority of Afghans – women and men alike – support girls’ education.
In a nationwide, door-to-door survey of more than 2,000 Afghans, more than 9 out of 10 said it was important for girls to continue their schooling.
Support was overwhelming across the board: from men and women, in both urban and rural communities.
It is clear: Despite the existing bans, the Afghan people want their daughters to exercise their right to education.
In a country where half the population lives in poverty, education is the difference between despair and possibility.
These findings can be found in a new UN Women Gender Alert, spotlighting the normalization of the women’s rights crisis in Afghanistan, four years after the Taliban takeover. The Gender Alert comes one year after the so-called morality law’ codified a sweeping set of restrictions on women and girls.
The Gender Alert also looked at the Taliban’s ban on women working for NGOs – announced nearly three years ago. Its impact is devastating.
In a survey conducted this July and August, 97 per cent of Afghan women in areas where the ban is enforced said it has harmed their daily lives.
Three-quarters described their mental health as “bad” or “very bad”.
This is why investing in Afghan women’s organizations is at the core of UN Women’s work.
Because when other doors are closed, these community organizations remain one of the only lifelines left.
If you can’t leave your home without a man, or speak to men outside your family – where do you turn for healthcare, mental health support or simply the chance to connect with other women?
You turn to local women’s organizations.
Their work is especially critical for Afghan women and girls returning from Iran and Pakistan – among the 1.7 million Afghans who have returned this year alone – many forcibly.
Without women aid workers, many will simply miss out on life-saving support.
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