UNESCO has revealed that approximately 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been excluded from secondary education since the Taliban regained control in August 2021. This figure has increased by around 200,000 compared to last year, with projections indicating the number could approach four million by 2030 if the ban persists.

Education Restrictions and Their Impact

Following the Taliban takeover, initial assurances were made that women and girls would retain access to education. However, secondary schools closed to girls in March 2022, and university attendance was prohibited for women by December that year. The Taliban maintain that these measures align with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan cultural norms, asserting the matter is internal.

UNESCO’s programme coordinator for education in emergencies, Hoda Jaberian, highlighted that Afghanistan is currently the only country worldwide enforcing formal bans on girls and women attending secondary and higher education institutions.

Broader Gender Restrictions and Economic Consequences

The education bans are part of wider limitations on women’s rights, including restrictions on employment, movement, and access to public spaces. The UN has described this system as "gender apartheid." UNESCO warns that denying girls education threatens to push 600,000 women out of the workforce by 2066 and could result in economic losses estimated at $9.6 billion. Additionally, the shortage of qualified female teachers is expected to exceed 11,000 by 2030, as many have fled or been barred from teaching.

Challenges Facing Afghanistan’s Education System

Beyond gender-based bans, Afghanistan’s education sector faces multiple crises. Over two million primary-age children are out of school, literacy rates remain low, and many schools lack basic facilities such as water, sanitation, and heating. The influx of millions of returnees since 2023 and natural disasters have further strained educational infrastructure.

Calls for Action

UNESCO continues to advocate for the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of girls' and women’s rights to secondary and higher education. Meanwhile, it supports community-based learning initiatives and literacy programs conducted in informal settings to mitigate the impact of official restrictions.