UNICEF: More Than 2.6 Million Afghan Girls Denied Secondary Education

DID Press: UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has again called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to lift restrictions on girls’ and women’s education and allow them to return to schools and universities without delay.

UNICEF said Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is effectively closed to girls and women. More than 2.6 million girls have been denied secondary education since the restrictions were imposed in 2021, the agency said.

Girls have been barred from formal education beyond sixth grade since September 2021, while women have been excluded from universities since December 2022. UNICEF said the continued restrictions deprive millions of girls of their right to education and expose them to broader social and economic risks.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has called on the de facto authorities to lift the restrictions and allow all girls and women to return to schools and universities. The agency said it remains ready to support the safe reopening of educational institutions.

The call comes as Amnesty International marks five years of Taliban rule with renewed criticism of restrictions on women and girls. In a report published in August, Amnesty documented what it described as a broad human rights crisis and called for greater international action.