Taliban Bans Schooling for Afghan Girls

A recent report from UNESCO reveals that the Taliban have systematically denied 1.4 million Afghan girls access to secondary education since their takeover in 2021. Afghanistan stands alone as the only nation globally that prohibits female secondary and higher education, with the Taliban justifying their actions through a strict interpretation of Sharia law. The ban has not affected boys, and there are no indications that the Taliban will reverse their decision to keep classrooms closed to girls and women. The number of girls deprived of education has risen by 300,000 since April 2023, with nearly 2.5 million girls now lacking access to schooling, representing 80% of Afghan school-age girls. UNESCO's data indicates a significant decline in overall school attendance, with 1.1 million fewer children enrolled since the Taliban's rise to power. The agency warns that this regression threatens the educational progress made over the past two decades, jeopardizing the future of an entire generation. In 2022, only 5.7 million children were enrolled in primary education, down from 6.8 million in 2019. The decline is attributed to the Taliban's ban on female teachers and a growing reluctance among parents to send their children to school amid worsening economic conditions. UNESCO expressed concern that the increasing dropout rates could lead to a rise in child labor and early marriages. As the Taliban marked three years in power at Bagram Air Base, they did not address the ongoing hardships faced by the Afghan population, which continues to grapple with high unemployment and food insecurity.