UNESCO: 2.4 million girls deprived of secondary education in Afghanistan

A report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released on Tuesday revealed that approximately 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are currently excluded from secondary education as a result of the Taliban government’s policies.

The Paris-based organization stated, “Women have been erased from public life, and as a new generation of girls grows up without education, their future is becoming increasingly bleak.”

UNESCO projects that this number will rise to nearly 4 million girls by 2030.

This estimate is based on the number of girls who were already enrolled in secondary schools and were forced to drop out after the Taliban seized power, as well as girls who are currently completing their primary education.

Afghanistan remains the only country in the world that prohibits girls and women from receiving education beyond primary school. UNESCO stated that this has resulted in the reversal of two decades of progress.

Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban movement has imposed severe restrictions on women’s rights, banning them from attending secondary schools or universities. They have also been largely excluded from the workforce.

UNESCO considers these restrictions serious violations of human rights and warns that excluding girls from education will exacerbate poverty in the country and leave untapped potential.

The report added, “With nearly half of Afghans living below the poverty line, denying girls and women access to education and restricting their work further undermines their ability to support their families and contribute to the country’s economic future.”