Suhakam: Leverage int'l positions to pressure Taliban on women's education

 

On Afghanistan’s recent move to ban women’s access to higher education, Suhakam has called for the government to leverage its position as a member of both the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to pressure Afghanistan to revisit its decision.

“Suhakam further calls on the Malaysian government to leverage its position as a current member of the UNHRC and a fellow member state of the OIC to strongly encourage the Afghan government to accede to the establishment of an inclusive government that respects the desire of the Afghan people and restores, respects, and upholds the basic rights of Afghan women and girls,” said Suhakam chairperson Rahmat Mohamad.

In a statement today, Suhakam said that it supports the actions of the Higher Education Ministry to pressure the Afghan government.

“To exclude women from acquiring education is a form of systematic discrimination, a clear contravention of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), of which Afghanistan is a member.

“Such a move also violates Article 9 of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) which guarantees equal access to education to everyone including women,” said Suhakam.

It added that the CDHRI is adopted by OIC countries and is constructed based on the teaching of Islam.

“As universally accepted, education is vital for an individual’s development as well as for improving the situation of a country,” said Suhakam.

It stressed that Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) outlines recommendations on appropriate measures to ensure equal enjoyment of the right to education. 

It also includes that no one should be left out from obtaining a quality education, as the success of a country hinges on the level of education of its citizens.

Suhakam joined the chorus of condemnation against the Taliban-led Afghan government for banning women from attending universities, which includes former religious minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri as well as the DAP and PKR Women wings. - Mkini