Malala Reacts to 1,000 Days Since Afghan Girls Were Banned From School

MALALA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON THIS PROGRAM ON THIS REALLY GRIM MILESTONE MARKING 1,000 DAYS SINCE GIRLS IN AFGHANISTAN HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF WHAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING EVERY CHILD IS ENTITLED TO, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY ISN'T EDUCATION.

JUST TALK TO US PERSONALLY ABOUT WHAT THIS MOMENT MEANS FOR YOU.

>> IT HAS BEEN THREE YEARS THAT AFGHAN GIRLS HAVE NOT SEEN THEIR CLASSROOMS.

IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 1,000 DAYS THAT AFGHAN GIRLS HAVE NOT SEEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN.

AND THAT IS MAKING IT ILLEGAL IN AFGHANISTAN.

THE TALIBAN ARE DENYING WOMEN AND GIRLS THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS.

AND THIS SHOULD SHOCK US.

THIS SHOULD PUT US INTO ACTION.

THAT'S WHY I THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO CALL IT A SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION IMPOSED BY THE TALIBAN ON THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN, WHICH IS LIMITING THEM FROM EDUCATION, FROM LEARNING, FROM WORK AND FROM A PUBLIC LIFE.

AND THAT IS WHY AFGHAN WOMEN ACTIVISTS ARE CALLING IT A GENDER APARTHEID, WHICH MEANS IT IS A SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION BY THOSE WHO ARE IN POWER FOR MEN TO ACTUALLY PROTECT THEM.

THERE IS NO PLACE FOR AFGHAN WOMEN TO GO TO.

THEY HAVE CURRENTLY NO FUTURE.

>> ARE YOU SATISFIED?

AND I WOULD ASSUME THE ANSWER IS NO, WITH THE ATTENTION AND FOCUS THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE IS GETTING FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND THE PRESSURE BEING PUT ON THE TALIBAN TO BRING THIS UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THE REAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EVEN PHYSICAL THAT WOMEN HAVE HAD TO ENDURE SINCE THEY CAME BACK INTO POWER?

>> I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ACTIVISM SINCE THE FALL OF KABUL IN 2021, AND I REMEMBER AT THAT TIME THE OUTRAGE THAT AFGHAN WOMEN AND GIRLS WERE SHOWING, THAT WE CANNOT TRUST THE TALIBAN.

BUT SOME PEOPLE SAID THAT WE NEED TO GET THEM A BIT MORE TIME, AND WE NEED TO TRUST THE TALIBAN ON THEIR PROMISES.

BUT THE WOMEN, THE AFGHAN WOMEN KNEW IT.

NOW IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN THREE YEARS.

WHAT IS THE EXCUSE NOW?

IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THOSE WHO ARE NEGOTIATING AND TALKING TO THE TALIBAN PRIORITIZE WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GIRLS' EDUCATION, THAT WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GIRLS EDUCATION IS A NONNEGOTIABLE CONDITION ON THE TABLE.

AND THOSE WOMEN HAVE TO BE IN THOSE ROOMS WHERE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR FUTURE ARE MADE.

AND THERE ARE MEETINGS HAPPENING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AS WELL.

SO I DO PUSH LEADERS.

I DO PUSH THE UN OFFICIALS AS WELL THAT THEY HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO COMPROMISE ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS.

WE CANNOT LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE WE ALL CLAIM OUR LEADERS CLAIM THAT WE CARE ABOUT GENDER EQUITY AND EQUALITY WHILE WE ARE PUTTING ALL OF THAT AT RISK IF AFGHANISTAN.

WE ARE NOT EVEN REACTING THAT GIRLS' EDUCATION RIGHT NOW IS BANNED, IS PROHIBITED FOR GIRLS.

>> A REMINDER OF THE FALSE PROMISES MADE AND PERHAPS THE NAIVE TRUST OR HOPE THAT WAS GIVEN TO THIS NEW TALIBAN, AS THEY CALLED IT, 2.0 WHEN THEY CAME BACK TO POWER.

THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE FOCUSED A LOT OF TIME HERE ON CNN.

CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR SPECIFICALLY, AS YOU KNOW.

AND SHE BROUGHT THIS UP WITH THE DEPUTY LEADER OF THE TALIBAN AT THE TIME IN 2022 AND ASKED HIM HIM ABOUT GIRLS' RIGHTS.

HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS RAISING THE ISSUE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS A LOT.

HERE IN AFGHANISTAN, THERE ARE ISLAMIC, NATIONAL, CULTURAL AND TRADITIONAL PRINCIPLES.

WITHIN THE LIMIT OF THOSE PRINCIPLES, WE ARE WORKING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK, AND THAT IS OUR GOAL.

>> HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

WHAT ARE THESE QUOTE, UNQUOTE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE PARAMETERS HE SET?

>> THERE ARE A DOZEN COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.

AND IN NONE OF THOSE MUSLIM COUNTRIES DO YOU SEE GIRLS PROHIBITED FROM EDUCATION OR PROHIBITED FROM WORK.

IT IS NOT A CRIME FOR GIRLS TO HAVE RIGHTS IN THOSE COUNTRIES.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT CULTURAL AND RELIGION ARE OFTEN USED AS AN EXCUSE TO LIMIT WOMEN, TO PROTECT THEIR MISOGYNY.

THERE IS NO SOLID BASIS FOR THAT AT ALL.

ISLAM ACTUALLY ENCOURAGING EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN, FOR EVERYBODY.

AND IN ISLAM, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET EDUCATION.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SORT OF SYSTEM, WHAT SORT OF IDEOLOGY THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THE CULTURE THAT I COME FROM AND THE RELIGION THAT I KNOW, IT ENCOURAGES EDUCATION.

AND I THINK THE TALIBAN NEED TO -- LIKE AT THIS POINT I WOULD SAY WE NEED MORE MUSLIM LEADERS AND MORE MUSLIM COUNTRIES TO STEP FORWARD AND ACTUALLY CHALLENGE THE TALIBAN TO SAY THAT IN ISLAM THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR A BAN ON GIRLS' EDUCATION AND PREVENTING WOMEN FROM WORK IN THE ISLAMIC CONTEST.

>> THIS IS NOT JUST A HUMAN RIGHT.

IT IS A RIGHT HURTING THE AFGHAN ECONOMY AS WELL, WHERE SO MANY WOMEN ARE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO CONTRIBUTE.