As Afghanistan’s Taliban government celebrates three years in power, the United Nations has raised alarm over the dire situation facing girls in the country. According to the UN, at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately deprived of their right to an education by the Taliban regime. This number has increased by 300,000 since the last count in April 2023, bringing the total to 2.5 million Afghan school-age girls who are now being denied access to education.
The UN’s educational and cultural agency, UNESCO, has warned that the future of an entire generation of Afghan girls is now in jeopardy due to the Taliban’s policies. The agency expressed concern over the harmful consequences of the increasing drop-out rate, which could lead to a rise in child labor and early marriage among girls who are unable to attend school.
Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are prohibited from attending secondary schools and universities. Since the Taliban came to power in August 2021, they have banned education for girls above sixth grade, citing religious reasons. However, no other Muslim-majority country enforces such restrictions on girls’ education.
UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay has called on the international community to continue advocating for the unconditional reopening of schools and universities to Afghan girls and women. The Taliban’s administration, which is not recognized by any other country, has imposed severe restrictions on women, leading the UN to describe the situation as “gender apartheid.”
In addition to the ban on girls’ education, the Taliban regime has also implemented restrictions on female teachers, leading to a decrease in primary school enrollment. UNESCO reported that the number of primary pupils in Afghanistan has declined from 6.8 million in 2019 to 5.7 million in 2022. The ban on female teachers teaching boys and the lack of incentives for parents to send their children to school have contributed to this drop in enrollment.
Furthermore, enrollment in higher education has also been significantly impacted, with the number of university students decreasing by 53 percent since 2021. This decline in higher education enrollment will likely result in a shortage of graduates trained for highly-skilled jobs, exacerbating development issues in the country.
The situation facing girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime is a grave concern, with the UN warning of the long-term consequences of denying education to an entire generation of girls. The international community’s continued advocacy for the rights of Afghan girls and women is crucial in ensuring that they have access to education and opportunities for a brighter future.
