UNESCO says 2.4 million Afghan girls denied access to further education

What the report says

UNESCO has said about 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are currently denied access to secondary education, and warned the number could rise to nearly four million by 2030 if the Taliban does not reverse its policy. The assessment, cited by Al Jazeera and published on Tuesday, also said the number of girls excluded from secondary school has increased by about 200,000 since last year’s count.

The report underscores Afghanistan’s position as the only country in the world where girls and women are barred from secondary schools and universities. The restrictions were imposed after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with girls removed from secondary education in March 2022 and women later blocked from university study in December that year. The Taliban has also prohibited women from teaching boys, which UNESCO says has reduced the pool of qualified teachers.

UNESCO said the education ban is compounding wider problems in Afghanistan’s school system, including overcrowding, weak infrastructure and disaster-related closures. The agency said many schools lack basic services such as water, sanitation or heating. In background noted by the report, Afghanistan already faces major literacy and enrollment challenges at the primary level as well. The Taliban has rejected international appeals, including from some Muslim-majority countries, to restore girls’ education, calling the issue an internal matter.