A senior Taliban official, Sher Abbas Stanikzai, has publicly called for the removal of restrictions on education for women and girls in Afghanistan, asserting that there is "no excuse" for denying them education. In a recent speech delivered at a religious ceremony in Khost province, Stanikzai, the political deputy at the Foreign Ministry, emphasized that India Times, stated, "just as there was no justification for it in the past and there shouldn't be one at all."

The Taliban's current policies have barred women from receiving education beyond the sixth grade. The ban extends to medical training for female students, a crucial aspect given that in Afghanistan, only female doctors can treat women and girls. There have been no official confirmations regarding the suspension of medical training, but reports indicate that this initiative has been halted since last September According to SCMP.

Stanikzai reiterated his call by stating that denying education to women is an injustice against approximately 20 million people in a nation with a population of 40 million. "This is not in Islamic law, but our personal choice or nature," he insisted reported CBS News. His recent remarks signal a significant shift as this is the first time he has directly appealed to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada for policy reforms.

Notably, Stanikzai has consistently advocated for women's rights to education, as indicated by similar statements made in September 2022. However, in his latest address, he has explicitly challenged the legitimacy of the Taliban’s current educational restrictions. Analyst Ibraheem Bahiss from Crisis Group noted that this public call signals a potential shift in Taliban policy CNN mentioned.

Earlier this month, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai called on Muslim leaders to confront the Taliban about the education bans during a conference organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Muslim World League. Meanwhile, according to UN officials, international recognition of the Taliban remains unlikely as long as education and employment restrictions for women endure as reported in SCMP.

While no country officially recognizes the Taliban regime, nations like Russia and India are slowly establishing diplomatic relations, as evidenced by a recent meeting between the Indian diplomat Vikram Mistri and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai.

These developments raise hope for potential reforms in the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan, fostering international awareness of their plight and the importance of education.