Somaya Faruqi, the former captain of the Afghan girls' robotics team, sobbed openly onstage after pleading with international leaders at the United Nations to defend the rights and education of women in Afghanistan a year after the Taliban gained power.
Last year I was in a class, but this year there are no girls in my class. They are in their homes, and the classrooms are empty. Therefore, I couldn't manage my emotions or myself, "20-year-old Faruqi told Reuters. "
When the Taliban took control of the country in August of last year and the United States and its allies withdrew their forces after a 20-year conflict, Faruqi, who is currently a student at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, departed Afghanistan.
She urged world leaders to band together and demand the reopening of girls' schools and the safeguarding of their rights in a speech at the UN in New York this week as they gathered for the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly.
You are all gathered here this week to suggest ways to improve education for everyone, but Faruqi reminded them not to forget those who were left behind or those who were not fortunate enough to attend school at all. "Demonstrate your support for me and the millions of Afghan girls."
Malala Yousafzai, the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize winner who was shot by a Taliban assailant in Pakistan as she was leaving school, chastised world leaders for their inaction.
Most of you are aware of what must be done. Yousafzai stated on Monday that you must commit to upholding the right to a complete education and eliminating the financial gap rather than making meagre, short-term assurances.