UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday again called on the Taliban to reopen high schools to girls across Afghanistan.
Speaking as the UN General Assembly's "high-level" week began, Mr Guterres emphasised the importance of girls' education, saying it is vital "to deliver peace, security, and sustainable development, everywhere".
“From this platform, I appeal to the authorities in Afghanistan: Lift all restrictions on girls’ access to secondary education immediately,” Mr Guterres told a UN education summit ahead of a busy week that will see world leaders address the 193-member body.
According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, more than one million girls are thought to have been barred from high school since the Taliban swept to power in August 2021.
The Taliban do not currently have a permanent representative at the UN after the body rejected the group's pick for the position, Suhail Shaheen.
The Taliban are keeping schools open for boys but have told girls to stay home. The ban prevents girls attending grades seven to 12, primarily impacting girls aged between 12 and 18.
The UN chief also warned that unequal education was rapidly dividing society.
"Education is in deep crisis. Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divider. Some 70 percent of 10-year-olds in poor countries are unable to read a basic text," he said.
Also addressing the summit was Somaya Faruqi, the captain of Afghan Girls Robotics Team known as the "Afghan Dreamers".
She urged world leaders to "not forget those who are left behind, those not lucky enough to be at school".
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
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Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
