1,000 days have passed since the Taliban barred girls from secondary education, the UN says

By RAHIM FAIEZ
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A thousand days have passed since girls in Afghanistan were banned from attending secondary schools. That’s according to the U.N. children’s agency Thursday, which says that “no country can move forward when half its population is left behind.” The U.N. has warned that the ban on girls’ education remains the Taliban’s biggest obstacle to gaining recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. The Taliban has said girls continuing their education goes against the group’s strict interpretation of Islamic law. The group took over in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces in 2021.