UNESCO: Taliban Has Deprived 1.5 Million Afghan Girls of Education
On International Women’s Day 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has raised concern over Taliban’s systematic crackdown on girls’ education, reporting that 1.5 million Afghan girls have been barred from schooling.
In a report released on March 8, UNESCO warned that if the Taliban’s policies persist until 2030, this number will surpass 4 million, deepening the country’s educational crisis.
Before the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Afghanistan had made significant progress in female literacy. As of mid-2021, 30% of Afghan girls and women were educated, with a sharp increase from just 17% two decades ago. However, these hard-earned gains are now being erased.
UNESCO highlighted that the Taliban’s restrictions on female education have led to a collapse in the teaching workforce, as salaries for female teachers are either nonexistent or severely delayed. This, in turn, has drastically lowered the quality of education in the country.
The report included testimonies from Afghan women who expressed their despair:”We are denied the right to education, the right to work, and even the right to live freely. They (the Taliban) are erasing us from society.”
As the world marks International Women’s Day, UNESCO reiterated its unwavering support for Afghan women’s rights and education. It called on the global community to take action, emphasizing that an entire generation of Afghan girls must not be forgotten.
