Malala Yousafzai Urges Stronger US Support For Afghan Girls' Education

Secondary schools in Afghanistan, where the Taliban came to power for the second time, have reopened for boys only, and only men are permitted to teach

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai (File Photo)

New Delhi: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Pakistani Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, on Monday called for stronger US support of Afghan girls and women during a visit to Washington.

"Afghanistan right now is the only country where girls do not have access to secondary education. They are prohibited from learning," said the 24-year-old human right activist  who met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"This is the message of Afghan girls right now: we want to see a world where all girls can have access to safe and quality education," Yousafzai noted while sharing a letter addressed to President Joe Biden from a 15-year-old Afghan girl named Sotodah, according to AFP report.

In a letter, Sotodah wrote "the longer schools and universities remain closed to girls, the more it will shade hope for [their] future."

"Girls' education is a powerful tool for bringing peace and security," added Yousafzai, reading the letter, "If girls don't learn, Afghanistan will suffer, too."

What’s the state of secondary education in Afghanistan?

Secondary schools in Afghanistan, where the Taliban came to power for the second time, have reopened for boys only, and only men are permitted to teach.

"We hope that the United States, together with the UN, will take immediate actions to ensure that girls are allowed to go back to their schools as soon as possible," Yousafzai noted before a private meeting with the secretary.

Blinken, whose country this summer hastily withdrew its troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, saluted Yousafzai as "an inspiration to girls and women around the world," and someone who "by her work, by her efforts, is making a real difference."