In Islamabad, the U.N. children’s agency issued a call to action on Saturday, urging Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to revoke their ongoing prohibition on female education. This restriction, in place since the group’s resurgence to power in 2021, jeopardizes the educational future of countless young females deprived of their fundamental right to learn. As the new academic year unfolds in Afghanistan, girls beyond the sixth grade find themselves excluded from school due to this ban. Consequently, it has impacted an additional 400,000 girls, increasing the total to 2.2 million who are denied education.
Afghanistan stands as the sole nation imposing such limitations on female secondary and higher education. The Taliban cite their specific interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law, as justification for the measure. Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, voiced her concern, stating, “For over three years, the rights of girls in Afghanistan have been infringed upon. It is imperative that all girls be granted access to education immediately. Denying these intelligent, promising young girls their chance to learn will have repercussions that extend across multiple generations.”
Russell highlighted that prolonging the ban until 2030 risks leaving over four million girls without secondary education, a scenario she labels as “catastrophic.” The long-lasting consequences of this exclusion extend beyond education. Russell noted the anticipated decline in female medical professionals, predicting a subsequent shortage of essential healthcare for women and girls. This lack of medical care could lead to an additional 1,600 maternal and over 3,500 infant deaths, translating into profound human losses and fractured families.
This educational ban has drawn international criticism. Earlier this year, the Afghan Taliban administration boycotted a global conference hosted in Pakistan, where Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai openly criticized the severe repression of females in Afghanistan, deeming it a form of gender apartheid.