According to UNESCO, at least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied secondary education since the Taliban regained power in 2021, putting the future of an entire generation at risk.
In a statement released on Thursday, UNESCO highlighted the sharp decline in access to basic education, with the number of boys and girls enrolled in schools dropping by about 1.1 million.
This news comes as the Taliban marks three years since its return to power on August 15, 2021.
The UN agency expressed deep concern over the harmful consequences of this growing educational gap, warning that it could lead to a rise in child labor and early marriages.
“In just three years, the de facto authorities have nearly erased two decades of steady progress in Afghan education, placing the future of an entire generation in jeopardy,” UNESCO stated.
Currently, around 2.5 million girls are deprived of their right to education, representing 80% of Afghan girls of school age.
The Taliban, whose government is not recognized by any other country, has imposed strict gender-based restrictions on women, which the United Nations has described as “a system of gender apartheid.”
Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls and women are barred from attending secondary schools and universities.
UNESCO reported that due to the Taliban’s ban, around 1.4 million girls have been deliberately excluded from secondary education since 2021—an increase of 300,000 girls since the last UNESCO report in April 2023.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay urged the international community to remain vigilant in ensuring the unconditional reopening of schools and universities to Afghan girls and women.
The report also highlighted a decline in primary school attendance, with 5.7 million boys and girls enrolled in 2022, down from 6.8 million in 2019.
UNESCO attributed this decrease to the Taliban’s decision to prevent female teachers from teaching boys, as well as a lack of incentives for parents to send their children to school.
The situation in higher education is equally alarming, with university enrollment dropping by 53% since 2021.
UNESCO warned that this decline will soon lead to a shortage of graduates trained for highly skilled jobs, further exacerbating Afghanistan’s developmental challenges.
