UNESCO to dedicate 2023 Int’l Day of Education to Afghan girls and women

Marking the occasion of the International Day of Education, being held on January 24, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the decision to dedicate the day to girls and women in Afghanistan who have been forcefully stripped of their basic right to education.

In a statement released earlier on Friday, the top UN body said, “UNESCO would like to dedicate the fifth edition of this International Day to all the girls and women in Afghanistan, who have been denied their right to learn, study and teach.

The Organization condemns this serious attack on human dignity and on the fundamental right to education.” Currently, 2.5 million (80%) of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of school, 1.2 million of whom were denied access to secondary schools and universities following the decision of the de facto authorities.

Further, the UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay was quoted saying, “No country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education.

Education is a universal human right that must be respected. The international community has the responsibility to ensure that the rights of Afghan girls and women are restored without delay. The war against women must stop.”