KABUL, Afghanistan — On the International Day of Education, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed “profound regret and deep concern” over the continued denial of education for millions of Afghan girls, as the country remains the only one in the world to explicitly bar women and girls from schooling.
UNAMA says that it has been 1,225 days—nearly four years—since the Taliban imposed a ban preventing girls above the age of 12 from attending school.
“It is a travesty and tragedy that millions of Afghan girls have been stripped of their right to education,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “No country has ever thrived by disempowering and leaving behind half its population. The de facto authorities must end this ban immediately and allow all Afghan girls to return to school.”
Since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have implemented sweeping restrictions on the rights and freedoms of women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education. These measures have drawn global condemnation and deepened Afghanistan’s isolation on the world stage.
The International Day of Education, observed annually on January 24, emphasizes the importance of education in promoting peace, equality, and development. This year’s theme, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation,” underscores the urgent need to ensure access to education for all, regardless of gender or geography.
The day is observed at a time when at least 1.5 million girls are deprived of schooling due to the Taliban’s ban on education.
