The conference gathered representatives of 38 countries, nine international organizations and nine NGOs and businesses, along with nine prominent women figures and academics in Bali on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said that as the first-ever international conference on the matter, the conference aimed to update on the situation in Afghanistan and to reaffirm support to all Afghan people and to the rights of women -- in particular, education.

The conference also aimed to identify and gather resources to support women’s education in Afghanistan and design the ways forward for the issue, she added.

She cited the United Nations Women, which found more than 11 million Afghan women and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance while the UN Development Program estimated that US$1 billion or 5 percent of Afghan GDP could be lost from the restrictions put on women.

The World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index 2021 puts Afghanistan last out of 156 countries.

“With this situation, we cannot choose to remain idle, we must do something,” Retno said in a statement after the conference on Thursday.

‘Stepping stone’

Qatar Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah Al-Khater said that it was an honor for Qatar to co-host the conference that reaffirmed support for Afghan women’s education.

“It's a good stepping stone to a long process -- hopefully, a holistic strategy that would address the challenges that Afghan women are facing,” Al-Khater said on Thursday.

She also said that from the Qatari side, the country had pledged around US$75 million since August 2021 for Afghanistan, most of which went for education.

She said that Qatar and Indonesia had discussed coming up with a scholarship program dedicated to Afghan students both boys and girls, while the conference also explored ways to create economic opportunities for Afghan women.

She also said that the conference witnessed the participation of diverse dozens of countries from Muslim-majority countries to Western and Eastern countries, with a single message that education is a right for all.

“It’s very important for myself and colleagues as well that I as a Muslim woman confirm that this is not part of the faith. Preventing women from their basic right is not part of the faith,” Al-Khater said.

The conference also came up with a 10-point statement called, “Bali Message of the International Conference on Afghan Women’s Education”.

The third point of the statement acknowledged that women and girls in Afghanistan experienced limited access to education, health facilities, freedom of movement and working opportunities.

“While some of the challenges are faced by the population as a whole due to restrictive policies in Afghanistan, women and girls are disproportionately affected,” the statement dated Dec. 8 read.

The statement seemingly referred to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, although the Bali Message did not make explicit reference to the Taliban.

The statement also stressed the need for Afghanistan to take steps in improving the quality of life for Afghan women and girls and fulfillment of their fundamental rights including education.

When asked whether the Taliban in Afghanistan was notified of Thursday's conference on Afghan women, Foreign Ministry Director General for Asian, Pacific and African Affairs Abdul Kadir Jailani only said that the conference was focused on consolidating international support to help Afghanistan and did not discuss recognition of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Indonesia has reinstated its embassy in Kabul, but still holds off on diplomatic recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.