The Taliban authorities have not given any pledge to reopen schools and universities for Afghan girls and women in the new school year, a senior EU official said in Kabul on March 5. The EU's special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said he heard no "firm commitment" from Taliban ministers during his meetings. "Opening the schools and universities to provide quality education to Afghan boys and girls, women and men, is not optional," Niklasson said. Since the the hard-line Islamist group returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan has become the only country in the world to deny women education.
EU Envoy Says Taliban Won't Commit To Reopening Schools To Girls
EU special envoy Tomas Niklasson meets with the Taliban in 2022.