Taliban Is Treating Women Inhumanely, Malala Calls for Muslim Leaders to Unite
January 12, 2025 — Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, on Sunday, January 12, called on Muslim leaders to strongly criticize the Taliban government's treatment of women during a summit on girls' education in Islamic countries.
At the summit held in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, Malala said, "Do not legitimise the Taliban. Muslim leaders must raise their voices now and use their power. They can show true leadership. They can show true Islam."
Malala further stated, "Simply put, the Taliban does not see women as human beings. They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification."
Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban in 2012, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and is now globally advocating for women's rights and education.
Taliban's Anti-Women Education Measures
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban government has enforced strict Islamic law, banning girls from attending secondary school and university, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to impose such bans. The United Nations has condemned these actions as "gender apartheid."
Concerns About Education in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen
Malala also expressed concern over the education systems in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen. "In Gaza, Israel has decimated the entire education system," she said. "I will continue to call out Israel’s violations of international law and human rights."
International Division on the Taliban
While the Taliban’s treatment of women has drawn widespread condemnation, there is division within the international community on how to engage with them. Some countries advocate for isolating the Taliban diplomatically in hopes of pressuring them to reverse their policies, while others support dialogue to encourage change.
No government has officially recognised the Taliban, although some regional countries have engaged with them on trade and security. Despite international criticism, there has been little apparent change in the Taliban's policies toward women.
