AhlulBayt News Agency: Afghanistan’s acting representative to the United Nations has called for equal educational and social opportunities for women and young people, warning that continued Taliban policies are depriving an entire generation of academic, professional and civic opportunities.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s acting representative to the United Nations, urged that women and young people be given equal opportunities in education and society, stressing that both groups must participate in decisions shaping the country’s future.
Speaking on Monday, November 2, at a meeting titled “Afghan Youth at a Crossroads: Rights, Aspirations, Challenges and Opportunities,” held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, Faiq said the past five years had been marked by widespread restrictions on education, employment and young people’s social participation.
Citing figures from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Faiq said more than 2.6 million girls had been denied access to secondary education since 2021. He added that universities remained closed to women, while restrictions on employment and movement had further diminished their independence and life opportunities.
Faiq also expressed concern over the expansion of religious schools at the expense of general education. He said that, as of September 2025, more than 23,000 religious schools had been established in Afghanistan.
He warned that removing foreign languages and civic subjects from school curricula, alongside the growing replacement of general education with religious instruction, was limiting young people’s ability to meet scientific and professional demands.
Pointing to rapid developments in artificial intelligence and the changing labor market, Faiq said scientific knowledge, digital skills and critical thinking were essential for the future of Afghanistan’s youth.
He noted that young boys and men, alongside women, were also facing serious challenges, including poverty, unemployment, declining educational opportunities and restrictions on freedom of expression.
Faiq concluded by calling for support for safe education, scholarships, skills training and youth-led initiatives. He emphasized that alternative forms of education could never replace the reopening of schools and universities.
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