Girls in Afghanistan will be allowed to attend secondary school, a UN official has said, following discussions with a top Taliban official.
In September, the militant group – which swept to power in August following the sudden collapse of the internationally-backed government in Kabul, said that only boys could attend when schools reopened.
Education gains of the past two decades must be strengthened and not rolled back
Omar Abdi,
Unicef
This raised fears that the Taliban would be returning to their draconian Islamist governance model, practised during their rule of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.
But the group has shifted position amid mounting international pressure.
Five out of 34 provinces in Afghanistan are already accepting girls to attend secondary school, Omar Abdi, deputy director of UN children’s fund Unicef, told journalists.
“As I speak to you today, millions of girls of secondary school age are missing out on education for the 27th consecutive day. We are urging them not to wait. Any day that we wait, it’s a day lost for those girls that are out of school,” Mr Abdi said.
Mr Abdi said the provinces where girls are accepted in secondary school were Balkh, Jawzjan, Samangan and Kunduz in the north and Urozgan, further south.
He said the Taliban’s education minister told him they were working on “a framework” to allow all girls to continue their schooling beyond the sixth grade, which should be published in “a month and two”.
Since their August 15 takeover of Afghanistan – as US and Nato forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the country after 20 years – the Taliban have come under increasing international pressure to ensure women’s rights to education and work.
Mr Abdi said that in every meeting he pressed the Taliban “to let girls resume their learning”, calling it “critical for the girls themselves and for the country as a whole”.
When the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 by a US-led coalition for harbouring Osama bin Laden, only one million Afghan children were in school, he said.
Over the past 20 years, that figure had risen to almost 10 million – including four million girls, Mr Abdi said. In the past decade the number of schools tripled from 6,000 to 18,000.
“Education gains of the past two decades must be strengthened and not rolled back,” he said.
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
