Qatari, Canadian officials discuss ways to support Aghan girls’ education

KABUL (Agencies): Canadian and Qatari officials met on Thursday to discuss ways to support education in Afghanistan, particularly women’s and girls’ education.
Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, and Jennifer Macintyre, Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration for Afghanistan, reportedly discussed plans to improve access to education for women and girls in Afghanistan, according to The Peninsula News.
Lolwah Al Khater criticized the bans imposed by the Taliban barring women and girls to attend schools and universities. She said that the Taliban should learn from other Islamic countries including Qatar, Indonesia, and Malesia, where despite the Islamic system, women have the right to education and work.
Furthermore, the two sides discussed the health development plans in Afghanistan, as well as shed light on the results of the meetings held between the Taliban delegation and two delegations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has announced that it will send a delegation of scholars (Ulama) to discuss women’s education and work with the Taliban in the near future.
Separately, US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that Afghan girls’ dreams have been shattered and they have been kicked out of school in tears.
On Thursday, the Japanese Embassy in Kabul expressed disappointment as Afghan girls are still barred from returning to schools and universities as the academic year begins in Afghanistan. The emphasis on supporting girls’ education has increased among Afghanistan’s partners, aid groups, and United Nations agencies in the recent past – collectively seeking ways to convince the Afghan interim government to allow women and girls to attend education and work.