Afghanistan’s Silent Crisis: 1.4 Million Girls Still Banned from School

Afghan girls, forced to end their education at 6th grade, say a final goodbye to their classmates.

Nearly four years after the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls over the age of 12 are barred from accessing education. This is not just a national tragedy, but it is a global failure.

According to recent data from UNESCO, 1.4 million Afghan girls have been systematically excluded from secondary and higher education due to decrees issued by the Taliban’s de facto authorities (UNESCO, 2024). What was initially described by the Taliban as a “temporary” restriction has become a prolonged and indefinite ban, effectively erasing girls from classrooms, universities, and the public sphere. And yet, this staggering human rights crisis has faded from international headlines.

While the Taliban is not recognized by the United Nations as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, their control over the country has become an undeniable and oppressive reality. As the international community debates the politics of recognition, Afghan girls continue to lose precious days, months, and years, watching their futures disappear.

Tragically, this is not a new chapter. During the Taliban’s first regime in the 1990s, girls and women were similarly banned from schools and workplaces. Today, history is repeating itself, only this time, the world cannot claim ignorance. We know better. And because of that, we must do better.

This ban is not just an attack on education, it is an attack on opportunity, dignity, and the future of an entire generation. The world must act with urgency and purpose to support Afghan girls and uphold their fundamental right to learn.

References:

UNESCO. (2024, August 15). Afghanistan: 1.4 million girls still banned from school by de facto authorities. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/afghanistan-14-million-girls-still-banned-school-de-facto-authorities