Afghan rights watchdog slams move to ban girls from singing

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said in a statement on Thursday that the Ministry of Education was in violation of Afghan laws, Child Rights and the country’s Constitution following its move to ban all school girls in the country from singing and performing in public.

“All boys and girls can exercise their rights equally and freely within the law,” read the statement, adding that “any restriction on the rights and freedoms of children is against the general principles of human rights, the Convention on the rights of the children and the national laws of Afghanistan, in particular the Constitution and the law on the protection of the rights of the children.”

According to the AIHRC “the right to education, freedom of expression and access to artistic skills are fundamental rights of all children.”

AIHRC said the Ministry of Education should preserve children’s rights not promote gender discrimination.

The AIHRC said it is expected that the Ministry of Education should make decisions “based on principles to support freedom, equality and the highest interests of children and not promote gender discrimination.”

This comes after the Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday it has imposed a ban on all school girls over the age of 12 from singing or performing at public performances.

A letter from the Kabul Education Department states that male teachers and educators are also not allowed to teach school girls over the age of 12, and that if they fail to abide by this rule they could face legal action.

The ban would apply to all government and private schools, the letter stated.

The decision sparked an outcry among social media users and other critics on Wednesday and women in particular slammed the decision, saying that sensitive decisions especially relating to gender should not be taken by educational institutions.

But the Ministry of Education says the decision was made following an order from the National Assembly and at the suggestion of some families.