Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed regret over the continued exclusion of girls from Afghanistan’s national university entrance examination (Kankor). He voiced hope that, in the near future, schools and universities would reopen to girls, allowing them to resume their education.
Karzai emphasized the importance of universal access to education, stating that learning is a fundamental necessity for the country and a key driver of Afghanistan’s development and progress. He said that Afghanistan can only advance on the path to growth and prosperity by making equal use of the knowledge, expertise, and talents of both girls and boys.
This year marks the fifth consecutive year that Afghan girls have been barred from taking the nationwide Kankor examination. Before these restrictions were imposed, thousands of female students from provinces across the country participated in the annual exam, competing for admission to higher education institutions.
After the Taliban returned to power, officials described the closure of schools and universities to girls as a temporary measure, stating that the restrictions would be lifted once education policies had been revised. However, five years on, the continued enforcement of these measures indicates that the restrictions remain firmly in place.
Despite sustained diplomatic efforts and widespread international calls for girls’ access to education to be restored, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, has so far made no changes to the policy, with no indication of any willingness to ease the restrictions.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
