Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is calling on the US to take action to ensure that Afghan girls and women are able to return to the classroom and the workplace in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.
Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for women's equality who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, said she came to the State Department"to talk about equality in girls' education."Prior to the start of their closed-door meeting, Yousafzai noted that"Afghanistan right now is the only country where girls do not have access to secondary education.
Since seizing power in Afghanistan in August, the Taliban have imposed sharp restrictions on girl's access to education and barred women from certain workplaces. The group released a so-called "decree on women's rights" setting out rules governing marriage and property for women. It did not mention employment or education.Afghanistan has also plunged into a humanitarian and economic crisis.