Former Afghan MP Mariam Solaimankhil on the violation of girls' and women's right to Education
Mariam Solaimankhil, former member of the National Assembly of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden to girls and women.
In advance of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15 2021, we spoke to former MP Mariam Solaimankhil about the ongoing situation for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Solaimankhil was elected to the House of Representatives of the People, the lower house of the bicameral National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2018, where she represented the Kuchi community.
Four years after the Taliban’s return, how would you describe the current situation for girls and women in Afghanistan, particularly in terms of education and public life?
“It’s not a situation - it’s a war. A war on Afghan women. The Taliban didn’t come back to govern; they came back to erase half the population. Girls are banned from school. Women are banned from work. From parks. From speaking. From existing. This isn’t a cultural issue - it’s a crime. The world watches in silence while an entire gender is stripped of basic humanity. Don’t tell me this is “de facto authority.” “This is apartheid. And anyone excusing it is complicit.
What specific efforts have been made, inside or outside Afghanistan, to push back against the education ban for girls beyond grade six?
“Inside Afghanistan, people are risking their lives to teach, in basements, in secret networks, with nothing but courage and a chalkboard. And outside? We’re not sitting quietly in exile, we’re building a movement. I’ve stood at global stages, met with lawmakers, taken this to the ICC, and exposed this regime for what it is. We are forcing the world to look at what they helped create. We’re not begging for help, we’re demanding justice.
How do you see the role of Afghan parliamentarians in exile or in opposition in shaping the future of women’s rights in the country?
“We were elected by the people. Our power doesn’t disappear because the Taliban walked into Kabul with Pakistani backing. If anything, our responsibility doubled. We are the government-in-exile. We are deeply connected to our constituents who count on us, and we are the resistance. We’re the ones still speaking when women back home are forced into silence. We don’t wait for permission to act; we create the future now. And that future has Afghan women at the center, not in the shadows.
What message would you like to give to the young girls who are being denied access to education today?
“They fear you for a reason. Because your mind is your weapon. Because your voice is your revolution. What they’re doing to you is not your fault - it’s their fear showing. You are not powerless. You are the future they’re trying to stop. And I promise you: we are out here, every single day, fighting for your right to dream, to learn, to live. Don’t let their cages touch your soul. You are not alone.
What do you believe the international community should be doing more effectively to support Afghan women today, and can you share how you personally have been working toward that goal in your own role?
“The international community needs to stop pretending. You know exactly who the Taliban are. You knew it before you signed deals with them in Doha. You knew it when you funded them under the table. And now you want to act surprised while they whip girls in public and call it “culture”?
“What should you be doing? Sanctions. Accountability. No recognition. No legitimacy.
“And what am I doing? I’m in the fight - every single day. In courtrooms. In pressrooms. In policy rooms. Naming names. Building cases. Exposing every lie. I’m not here to play nice with war criminals. I’m here to end their reign.”
