By Chimezie Godfrey
The Save-Public-Education-Campaign, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pressure the Afghanistan regime to reverse the ban on women and girl education at Afghanistan made recently.
This is contained in a statement co-signed the Campaign’s Convener, Comrade Vivian Bello and Co-Convener Comrade Dimeji Macaulay made available to the press on Thursday in Abuja.
The Campaign lamented that clamping down on Women and Girls’s Education criminalizes Womanhood, adding that International Charter on Human and People’s Rights grants all individuals, right to education regardless of gender.
It therefore urged Mr President to intervene and put pressure on the Afghanistan government to rescind its decision.
It stated,”The Save-Public-Education-Campaign received with deep sadness and distress the news of the banning of Women and Girls from attending University in Afghanistan by the country’s ruling junta. This is coming in quick succession of an earlier Order made by the same authorities, prohibiting Women/Girls from attending Secondary Schools.
“To say that we, at the Save-Public-Education-Campaign are appalled by these draconian Orders is an understatement, we are totally in shock.
As it stands, by these actions of the Afghan regime, the Education and by implication, the life and development of millions of Women and Girls in Afghanistan have effectively come to a halt. All the innate, God-given talents and potentials these Women and Girls have, will in this way, never see the light of the day in terms of being developed or deployed to the service of Humanity.
“It is on record that Afghan Women and Girls are some of the brightest in the World with great potentials to excel in diverse areas including Medicine, Education (Teaching), Engineering, Technology, Aviation, Military, Security, Agriculture, Politics, Banking, etc. Depriving them of the freedom to be educated, develop and put these God-given talents and potentials to use for their benefit and the benefit of the society is most unfair, unjust and a most excruciating blow to Womankind.
“To all intent and purposes, this Decree does not just stand commonsense on its head, it CRIMINALIZES Womanhood.
“We therefore launch an urgent call on our dear President, Muhammadu Buhari to BE OUR VOICE; “please rise to the Cries of Women and Girls regarding Education in Afghanistan and use every influence and capacity within your powers and at your disposal to compel the Afghan regime to reverse this anti-Women and Girls decree and let Women breathe and be educated just like their Male counterparts in the country”.
It added,”We also in similar vein demand improved Education for Women and Girls in Nigeria. We believe that pregnant Women or Girls should be able to continue their education without stigmatization, hindrance or let.
“The Save-Public-Education-Campaign, Nigeria, will continue to stand in solidarity with our sisters undergoing educational repression in Afghanistan, we will continue to hold them in prayers, we will continue to lend our Voices to their plight and difficulties and will continue to do all we can to reverse this sad situation.
“We strongly believe that one day, freedom shall come for these countless Women and Girls in Afghanistan, (and indeed every other part of the World where they are being oppressed or stigmatized as a result of their gender), and Women and Girls shall be free and empowered to attain their goals and fulfill their potentials.”
