This represents 1,000 unfathomable days of empty classroom chairs where girls once sat, where their minds were ignited and dreams were pursued.
Between 2001 and 2021, school enrollment of girls in Afghanistan jumped from nearly zero to 2.5 million as the country made massive investments in education and saw dramatic social development gains. That progress was reversed after 2021 when girls over 12 were barred from school.
This denial of the fundamental right to learn is not only denying girls their hopes for the future, but also has far-reaching impacts in poverty, food security, health outcomes, economic development, child marriage, gender-based violence, and nearly all other human development indicators.
Afghan women and girls are powerful advocates for their own rights; we stand in solidarity with them, amplifying their demands for the fundamental human right to education. We call for a full restoration of the right to learn in Afghanistan and remain committed to providing alternative access to quality educational opportunities. For every empty chair in an abandoned classroom where girls once learned, we are working to create new virtual seats in our online classroom and programs.
Thank you for making the choice to stand with Afghan women and girls and push back against the egregious violations of fundamental human rights. Together, we can restore hope and uphold the right to learn, one virtual classroom seat at a time.
