Afghan women and girls are currently facing one of the most severe education bans in the world. Millions of girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary school and university.

For many Afghan women, studying abroad is now the only path left to education, independence, and hope for the future.

The United Kingdom has long stood for human rights, equality, and access to education. Suspending student visas for Afghan women would unintentionally deepen the isolation of those who are already deprived of their basic rights.

Afghan women are not asking for charity. They are asking for the opportunity to study, to learn, and to contribute positively to their communities and to the world.

Education is essential for peace, development, and stability. Supporting Afghan women’s access to education abroad is an investment in a more peaceful and prosperous future.

We respectfully urge the UK Government to continue granting student visas to Afghan women and to ensure that these educational opportunities remain open.

Closing this door would only strengthen the barriers that Afghan women already face.

Let education remain a bridge of hope.