Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has criticized world governments, stating that the international community has forgotten the people of Afghanistan.
In an interview with a French media outlet, Egeland emphasized that representatives of European countries should travel to Kabul and Kandahar to advocate for the rights of women and girls.
Egeland stated that there is no need for more meetings in Paris, Copenhagen, or Oslo. Afghan women need us to engage with them inside Afghanistan and fight for their rights.
“The world has realized that Afghanistan should not be left alone because other countries also have interests in Afghanistan. They want to remain active in Afghanistan and establish their institutions there,” said Mohammad Emal Dostyar, a university professor.
Meanwhile, the situation of women in Afghanistan, stating that 80% of Afghan women live in poverty, around 1.4 million girls are out of school, and women’s participation in the workforce is only 4.8%.
The latest data shows that 80 percent of Afghan women live in poverty, at least 1.4mn girls are not in school and female participation in the labour force stands at just 4.8 per cent.”
“International organizations only reflect a small portion of the problems faced by Afghan women and girls, whereas the challenges of the Afghan people—especially women and girls—are much broader. The main cause of these challenges is the intelligence games of major powers,” said Lamya Shirzad, a women’s rights activist.
At the same time, some women in the country have called on the Islamic Emirate to create job opportunities and facilitate education.
“Those who have studied should be provided with job opportunities and allowed to continue their professional activities. Also, girls who have been deprived of school and university should be allowed to resume their education, especially on the day of the Prophet’s mission, as he himself had no issue with education,” said Farukh Hashemi, a student.
“Schools have been closed to us for four years. Not only me but all girls who have been deprived of education share a common demand: schools should be reopened so that we can continue our studies in schools and universities,” said Zahra Tawakuli, another student.
A while ago, during his visit to Afghanistan, Jan Egeland also emphasized the importance of education for both girls and boys and stated that he had discussed the matter with the authorities of the Islamic Emirate.