At Least 1.4 Million Afghan Girls Banned from Education Under Taliban Rule

UNESCO, the educational and cultural agency affiliated with the United Nations, announced that since the Taliban regained power three years ago, at least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of access to secondary education. In a statement on Thursday, August 25, the Paris-based agency wrote: "In just three years, the ruling authorities have destroyed nearly two decades of continuous educational progress in Afghanistan, and the future of an entire generation is now at risk." Recently, the Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their takeover of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on August 15, 2021. The Taliban's return to power occurred after the collapse of the U.S.-backed government and the flight of its leaders from the country. Since the Taliban regained power, women have been barred from public life, including jobs, parks, sports facilities, and most importantly, secondary and higher education. These restrictions have been described by the United Nations as "gender apartheid." According to UNESCO, nearly 2.5 million girls are currently deprived of the right to education, which constitutes 80 percent of school-aged girls in Afghanistan. This figure represents an increase of 300,000 from the previous statistics released by UNESCO in April 2023. UNESCO states: "As a result of the bans imposed by the ruling authorities, at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately deprived of access to secondary education since 2021." The agency added that access to primary education has also severely declined for boys in Afghanistan. According to UNESCO's report, enrollment in higher education is equally concerning, with the number of university students decreasing by 53 percent since 2021.