UNICEF Reiterates Call to Lift the Ban on Girls’ Education in Afghanistan

Image: UNICEF Afghanistan / X

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that Afghanistan’s education system is facing serious obstacles, but that it can be rebuilt.

In a message on Wednesday (28 January) posted on the social media platform X, UNICEF emphasised the need to lift the ban on girls’ secondary education in Afghanistan.

The message stated: “Lifting the ban on girls’ secondary education would enable girls to gain skills, enter vital professions such as healthcare, and strengthen families, communities, and the country’s future.”

UNICEF has previously warned that Afghanistan’s education system is at a critical point and that more than 90 percent of 10-year-old children in the country are unable to read a simple text.

Following the Taliban’s return to power, girls’ education above grade six has been banned in Afghanistan, and according to United Nations agencies, more than two million adolescent girls have been deprived of attending school due to these restrictions.