UN Warns Ban on Girls’ Education Threatening Afghanistan’s Future

DID Press: On the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, the UN voiced deep concern over the ongoing ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan, describing it as a “major loss” for the country’s future.

Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, said the prohibition of education for girls constitutes one of the country’s most severe social crises and represents a significant setback for its future.

“In the past, I would see hundreds of girls across Afghanistan going to school,” Gagnon said. “On the streets, you could see them entering and leaving schools and universities. I believe at least half of Kabul University’s students were female, but today that is no longer the case.”

She stressed that the caretaker government’s restrictions on women’s and girls’ education are not merely political or ideological decisions, but policies with far-reaching consequences for Afghanistani society as a whole.

“This ban affects not only girls and their families,” she noted, “but also endangers the country’s economic growth, social development, and political stability.”

Expressing concern over the continuation of these policies, Gagnon added: “It is truly heartbreaking. This is a profound loss for the entire society—not just for girls and their families, but for Afghanistan as a whole.”