Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has described the ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade as a “minor issue”, saying other developments in the country should also receive international attention.
Speaking to the BBC, Muttaqi said Afghanistan’s treatment of women should not be judged solely through Western cultural standards, arguing that Afghan culture and values should also be taken into account.
He claimed that the situation for women in Afghanistan was not as bad as portrayed by Western media, saying women were working and running businesses in Kabul and other cities. He also claimed that about three million women and girls were attending primary schools and religious schools.
Asked about concerns that the continued education ban could lead to shortages of female doctors, teachers and other professionals, Muttaqi said Afghanistan was not currently facing such a problem. He added that the Taliban would consider the issue if a shortage became a serious problem in the future.
The Taliban have banned girls from attending secondary schools since returning to power in 2021 and have also closed universities and medical institutes to women and girls. The United Nations estimates that about 2.5 million women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of education as a result of the restrictions.
