UNICEF: The Ban on Girls’ Education in Afghanistan is the Great Injustice of Our Time

Photo: UNICEF/Amin Meerzad

On the occasion of the fourth year of girls being deprived of education in Afghanistan, UNICEF issued a statement once again warning about the catastrophic consequences of the Taliban’s policy, describing it as “one of the defining injustices of our time.”

Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s Executive Director, said on Wednesday (September 17): “For four years, adolescent girls in Afghanistan have been barred from education beyond grade six. By the end of 2050, more than 2.2 million girls will have been denied their right to education.”

She added that the return of over two million Afghan migrants from neighboring countries this year has further increased the number of girls excluded from school.

Russell stressed that after the recent devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, which took the lives of more than 1,170 children, the importance of female health and social workers became more evident than ever: “Women are essential for humanitarian efforts, particularly in a society where strict gender segregation limits male workers’ ability to respond to the needs of women and families. If these professions and many others are to be preserved, girls must be educated.”

According to UNICEF, this ban not only destroys the personal future of millions of girls but also poses a serious threat to Afghanistan’s stability and progress: “No country can advance when half of its population is ignored.”

UNICEF stated that girls deprived of education are not only losing their school lessons but also missing opportunities for personal growth, social connections, building a future, and realizing their potential. The organization also warned of increasing mental health issues, forced marriages, and early pregnancies among girls confined to their homes.

UNICEF once again called on the Taliban to immediately lift this ban and allow all Afghan girls, from primary school to university, to have access to education.

It should be noted that on September 17, 2021, only weeks after returning to power, the Taliban closed secondary schools to girls. This restriction, which has now lasted more than 1,200 days, has deprived more than 1.4 million girls of education. The Taliban later closed universities as well and imposed even stricter restrictions on women’s social life and freedoms.

Human rights organizations describe these policies as a “systematic assault on women’s rights and girls’ education,” which is driving Afghanistan further into crisis and backwardness.