Overview
- UNESCO said Tuesday that about 2.4 million Afghan girls are currently denied secondary education, an increase of roughly 200,000 from last year and a figure that could approach four million by 2030 if the ban continues.
- The Taliban formally barred girls from secondary schools in March 2022 and women from universities in late 2022, citing their interpretation of Islamic law, making Afghanistan the only country to legally block female secondary and higher education.
- UNESCO warned the measures are reversing two decades of progress, will drive a projected shortfall of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030, and could cost Afghanistan an estimated $9.6 billion in lost income by 2066.
- The U.N. and partners run community-based literacy and skills classes with over 1,000 trained facilitators and exile or online university efforts, but those options are limited by Taliban controls, internet shutdowns and scarce places in programs abroad.
- The ban is inflicting immediate social harm on families, raising risks of early marriage and mental health strain for girls, while international responses remain uneven and visa limits curb opportunities for study or safe relocation.