The pain and anguish it is causing behind closed doors is clear from interviews AFP conducted across the country, with even deeply religious fathers questioning the ruling.The Taliban authorities justify the ban -- the only one of its kind in the world -- on their interpretation of Islamic law.But "you will never find in the Quran that education is only for men," said one devout father, while another -- who praised the Taliban government for restoring security and reducing corruption -- said he couldn't "find any proper justification for this".All the men -- whose identities AFP is protecting -- described the emotional turmoil the bar is causing, with fathers losing sleep over what to do to help their bright and frustrated daughters.Nine out of 10 Afghan men questioned in a UN survey last year said it was important for girls to go to secondary school, with nearly two thirds considering it "pious" for a father to support his daughter's education. Some men have gone to prison for protesting the ban.
An Afghan father collects his daughter from primary school in Kabul © / AFP
Girls were barred from secondary schools in March 2022 after the Taliban authorities returned to power, with universities closed to young women later that year. The Taliban government did not respond to AFP questions about the ban.Officials insist the ban is temporary. But after more than four years, the UN reckons "at least one million girls have been directly affected by the restrictions on secondary education".Dreaded day approachesEngineer Ahmad -- whose wife is a secondary school maths professor who is no longer allowed to teach -- said he never imagined that "one day my daughters would be illiterate".The father of four girls said "stopping at the sixth grade" will leave them effectively "illiterate" for the demands of "the 21st century"."Every day and every night, my wife and I... are getting closer to the moment when our daughters will have to stay home," he said.With his eldest nearing the end of her time in primary school -- and clandestine courses in their northern city costing more than half his salary -- he sees no option but to leave.
