Friday, August 14, 2026 - Nearly 2.4 million Afghan girls are now shut out of secondary education after years of Taliban restrictions, UNESCO says, putting an entire generation’s future at risk.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are formally barred from education beyond the primary level. The figure has risen by about 200,000 from last year, showing that the crisis is not slowing but expanding.
The consequences reach far beyond classrooms. UNESCO warns that continued restrictions could leave nearly four million girls without secondary education by 2030, while the loss of educated women threatens Afghanistan’s workforce, teacher supply and long-term economic growth.
The country is already facing a wider education crisis, with more than 2 million primary-school-age children also out of school and extremely low literacy levels.
The message from UNESCO is urgent: education for Afghan girls must be restored immediately and without conditions.
Community-based learning can provide temporary alternatives, but it cannot replace formal schooling and higher education. With every year that passes, more girls lose opportunities to build careers, support their families and contribute to Afghanistan’s recovery.
0 Comments