Citing a new report by UNICEF, the United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Taliban restrictions on girls’ education are costing Afghanistan an estimated $84 million annually in lost economic output, as millions remain excluded from schooling.
Dujarric told reporters that about 1 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to education beyond primary school since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
“If these restrictions persist until 2030, more than 2 million girls will have been deprived of their right to education beyond primary level,” he said.
The warning comes amid continued ban imposed by the Taliban on girls’ secondary and higher education, measures that UN officials say are having far-reaching economic and social consequences.
The UN Children’s Fund said in a new analysis that ongoing restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment could leave Afghanistan facing a shortage of more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030.
The report said the country is already experiencing a decline in its female workforce, with the number of women teachers dropping from about 72,963 in 2022 to around 66,208 in 2024, even as demand for education remains high.
UNICEF warned that reduced participation of women in the workforce could limit access to essential services, particularly maternal and child health care, and worsen already fragile health and education systems.
The agency said the restrictions are not only preventing girls from entering the workforce but also depriving the country of a new generation of skilled professionals.
Afghanistan already has one of the lowest female literacy rates in the world, and the continued exclusion of girls from education is expected to increase illiteracy and deepen poverty.
Residents in Kabul expressed frustration over the restrictions, saying girls have been systematically denied access to education and work.
“Nearly five years we have been deprived of education and forced to stay at home,” one resident said. “This situation has caused serious psychological problems, and we see a very dark future.”
Another resident said women make up half of society but are being excluded from basic rights. “Is being a woman a crime in Afghanistan?” she asked, calling on the international community not to remain silent.
Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions over the past four years, particularly targeting women and girls. The measures include banning girls from education beyond primary school and limiting women’s participation in public life and employment.
Rights groups say the policies amount to the systematic exclusion of women and girls from society, with potentially irreversible consequences for the country’s development.
