Yalda Hakim on Afghan boys standing united with girls

In September the Taliban excluded girls from secondary schools in Afghanistan with only boys and male teachers allowed back into classrooms. However, in the last few weeks some photos of boys protesting against the Taliban's decision have appeared on social media.

The banner held up by one of the boys, who appears in this video with Yalda Hakim, says; 'we will not go to school till the day our sisters join us.' The BBC has blurred the boys' faces to protect them from becoming targets themselves.

The messages from the boys has been shared around the world with thousands of people posting messages to support them.

Taliban officials who seized power last month said they were working to reach a decision on the matter. Secondary schools are usually for students aged between 13 and 18, and most are segregated. Many fear a return of the regime of the 1990s when the Taliban severely restricted girls' and women's rights.

Under their new government, Taliban officials have said that women will be allowed to study and work in accordance with the group's interpretation of Islamic religious law.

This video is a co-production between BBC My World and Angelina Jolie for the BBC and looks at how young people are standing up to Taliban restrictions. This is the third in a series of short films about young people caught up in global conflict.

This video is co-produced by Angelina Jolie who is working with the BBC to create digital content for under-25s.

BBC My World, external makes videos on global issues for young people.

Correspondent: Yalda Hakim

Director: Robert Timothy

Commissioning editor: Anna Doble

Executive producer: Angelina Jolie