The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has warned that the Taliban’s decision to deprive 1.4 million girls of education is jeopardising the future of an entire generation.
The Taliban returned to power on August 15, 2021, and since then have banned education for girls at the secondary and higher levels.
According to a statement from UNESCO reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday, the number of boys and girls enrolled in primary education has also decreased by 1.1 million since the Taliban’s take-over of Afghanistan.
The organisation expressed concerns regarding the harmful consequences of the rising dropout rates, which could lead to a rise in child labour and early marriages.
The UN educational agency warned that in just three years, the current Taliban officials have undone nearly two decades of progress in education in Afghanistan, putting the future of an entire generation at risk.
UNESCO’s data shows that 2.5 million girls are now deprived of education, representing 80% of school-age girls in Afghanistan.
The organisation also noted that since 2021, Taliban leaders have deliberately denied at least 1.4 million girls’ access to secondary education.
Recent reports from some Afghan provinces indicate that Taliban officials have instructed that girls over the age of 10 be barred from attending school.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are not allowed to attend secondary schools and universities.
No country has recognised the Taliban administration as the official government of Afghanistan.
While some UN officials have referred to the Taliban's restrictions on women as "gender apartheid," the organisation has yet to officially endorse these policies as such.
