The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Wednesday that 1,607 days have passed since girls over the age of 12 were barred from school by the Taliban, describing the prolonged ban as a “painful picture of Afghanistan’s future.”
Marking the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Feb. 11, UNAMA said the day is observed in Afghanistan “with deep sorrow” as girls and women remain excluded from education and from critical sectors, including science, for more than four years.
“In Afghanistan, we mark Women In Science day with sorrow: 1,607 days since girls over 12 were banned from school. Over four years of lost opportunity and a bleak future without women and girls in any critical sector,” UNAMA said in a statement on social media, reiterating its call on the de facto authorities to reverse the ban.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including banning secondary and university education for females and limiting their participation in most sectors of public life. Taliban officials say their policies are in line with their interpretation of Islamic law, but they have not provided a timeline for reopening schools to girls.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was established by the UN General Assembly in 2015 to promote equal access and full participation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The day highlights the achievements of women scientists and calls for the removal of gender-based discrimination in education and research.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the exclusion of women and girls from education and the workforce risks deepening Afghanistan’s economic and humanitarian crisis, as the country continues to face widespread poverty and dependence on aid.
