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UN / UNICEF AFGHANISTAN GIRLS EDUCATION
STORY: UN / UNICEF AFGHANISTAN GIRLS EDUCATION
TRT: 4:27
SOURCE: UNIFEED / UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNICEF FOOTAGE ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 MARCH 2022, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN headquarters exterior
23 MARCH 2022, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The de facto authorities’ failure to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade, despite repeated commitments, is a profound disappointment and deeply damaging for Afghanistan. The Secretary-General says that the denial of education not only violates the equal rights of women and girls to education, it also jeopardizes the country’s future in view of the tremendous contributions by Afghan women and girls. The Secretary-General urges the Taliban de facto authorities to open schools for all students without delay.”
FILE – UNICEF - MAY 2021, FARYAB, AFGHANISTAN
4. Wide shot, girls walking outside classrooms
5. Wide shot, girls walking outside classrooms
23 MARCH 2022, NEW YORK CITY
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Mort, Chief of Communications in Afghanistan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
"With this decision, an entire generation of adolescent girls is being denied their right to an education and being robbed of the opportunity to gain the skills they need to build their futures. I urge the de facto authorities to honour their commitment to girls’ education without any further delays. I appeal to community leaders in every corner of Afghanistan to support the education of adolescent girls. All children deserve to be in school. This is the surest way to put the country on a path toward the peace and prosperity that the people of Afghanistan deserve.”
FILE – UNICEF - MAY 2021, FARYAB, AFGHANISTAN
7. Wide shot, students in a schoolyard at a boys’ school
8. Med shot, students at desks in outdoor classroom
9. Med shot, student at desks in outdoor classroom
10. Tilt up, from UNICEF backpack to outdoor classroom
23 MARCH 2022, NEW YORK CITY
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Mort, Chief of Communications in Afghanistan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“Amongst our staff here at UNICEF, there was collective disbelief, (inaudible), and anxiety. To share one staff member's thoughts, he said: ‘I have three daughters. My elder daughter is in the 10th class and will not be able to go to school anymore, along with hundreds of thousands of other girls. This is a huge shock for all of us. I have no courage to face my daughter and respond to her questions. The world should feel our pain and disappointment.’”
FILE – UNICEF - MAY 2021, FARYAB, AFGHANISTAN
12. Various shots, students in outdoor classroom at a boys’ school
23 MARCH 2022, NEW YORK CITY
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Mort, Chief of Communications in Afghanistan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“We are very surprised by this decision that came out in the early hours of the morning. There had been every indication to us and to other UN agencies, including strong messages from the de facto authorities, that schools were to reopen today for all children in all provinces at all levels. We are as confused as everyone else.”
FILE – UNICEF - 2021, HERAT, AFGHANISTAN
14. Close up, girl looking at book in classroom
15. Wide shot, classroom
16. Various shots, girls participating in class
17. Close up, girl writing on board
23 MARCH 2022, NEW YORK CITY
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Mort, Chief of Communications in Afghanistan, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“Our main concern is getting the girls into school in Afghanistan. To that end, we will be continuing our advocacy at the highest levels in the strongest terms to ensure that every child in Afghanistan enjoys their right to an education.”
FILE – UNICEF - 2022, WARDAK, AFGHANISTAN
19. Wide shot, girls in community-based class
20. Pan left, girls in community-based class
21. Close up, girl writing on board in community-based class
FILE – UNICEF - 2021, HERAT, AFGHANISTAN
22. Wide shot, girls talking and laughing on bench in schoolyard
23. Wide shot, girls in schoolyard
24. Wide shot, girls in outdoor classroom
25. Wide shot, girls running in schoolyard
26. Wide shot, girls sitting and talking on bench in schoolyard
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The de facto authorities’ failure to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade, despite repeated commitments, is a profound disappointment and deeply damaging for Afghanistan,” according to a spokesperson.
In a statement today (23 Mar) relayed by his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres
deeply regretted the Taliban’s announcement that girls’ education from the sixth grade in Afghanistan has been suspended until further notice.
The Secretary-General stressed that the denial of education “not only violates the equal rights of women and girls to education, it also jeopardizes the country’s future in view of the tremendous contributions by Afghan women and girls,” Durjarric continued.
The Secretary-General urged the Taliban de facto authorities to open schools for all students without delay.
Speaking to reporters from Afghanistan via teleconference, UNICEF Chief of Communications, Samantha Mort, in the country also read a statement by the head of her Agency, Catherine Russell.
In the statement by the UNICEF Executive Director, Russel said the hopes of millions of girls were shattering by today’s decision, adding that the decision to delay the return to schools for girls Grade 7 to 12 is a major setback for their future.
Reading from the statement, Mort said, "With this decision, an entire generation of adolescent girls is being denied their right to an education and being robbed of the opportunity to gain the skills they need to build their futures. I urge the de facto authorities to honour their commitment to girls’ education without any further delays. I appeal to community leaders in every corner of Afghanistan to support the education of adolescent girls. All children deserve to be in school. This is the surest way to put the country on a path toward the peace and prosperity that the people of Afghanistan deserve.”
The UNICEF Chief of Communications in Afghanistan said the Agency’s monitors have reported that in 17 of the 34 provinces, girls did in fact return to school, however, in other districts schools shut and girls were turned away at the school gates. She said nothing could be concluded from these numbers, as the picture remains unclear for tomorrow.
Mort said, “Amongst our staff here at UNICEF, there was collective disbelief, (inaudible), and anxiety. To share one staff member's thoughts, he said: ‘I have three daughters. My elder daughter is in the 10th class and will not be able to go to school anymore, along with hundreds of thousands of other girls. This is a huge shock for all of us. I have no courage to face my daughter and respond to her questions. The world should feel our pain and disappointment.’”
Mort said UNICEF and its partners were “very surprised by this decision that came out in the early hours of the morning.” She said there had been “every indication to us and to other UN agencies, including strong messages from the de facto authorities, that schools were to reopen today for all children in all provinces at all levels. We are as confused as everyone else.”
The UNICEF official said that the de facto Ministry of Education has been working with all UN agencies and there were consistent messages coming out about schools opening for all children. She said there seems to be a disagreement between the Ministry of Education and other parts of the Taliban.
Mort said there were even celebrations scheduled for the opening of schools that were obviously cancelled following the announcement.
The UNICEF Chief of Communications in Afghanistan said, “Our main concern is getting the girls into school in Afghanistan. To that end, we will be continuing our advocacy at the highest levels in the strongest terms to ensure that every child in Afghanistan enjoys their right to an education.”
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