UNESCO reports 2.4 million Afghan girls barred from secondary education

Five years after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, UNESCO reports that an estimated 3.5 million girls are still barred from attending secondary schools, a situation that persists despite limited promises of educational reform. The United Nations agency highlighted that the ban, which applies to girls aged 12 and older, has been enforced through a combination of official decrees, school closures, and intimidation of teachers and families, effectively halting the progression of a generation of female students.

UNESCO warned that the prolonged exclusion of girls from secondary education will generate long‑term social and economic repercussions, including reduced labor‑force participation, heightened poverty rates, and diminished public health outcomes. The agency urged the Taliban authorities to reverse the restrictions and called on the international community to increase support for alternative learning opportunities, such as community‑based and remote education programs, to mitigate the widening gender gap in Afghan schooling.