Mr. Speaker, when I was eight or nine years old, my father drove me past the University of Montreal and said, “Look, Sophie, that will be your school one day”. A world of possibilities was open before me.
Unfortunately, that is not the case for many girls around the world. That is why I would like to emphasize that education is a human right for all women in the world, including Afghan women.
The Taliban's refusal to allow girls and women to receive an education not only violates their rights, but, as Michelle Bachelet said, it leaves them more exposed to violence, poverty and exploitation. We need to put more international pressure on the Taliban.