The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that at least 122 million girls are deprived of schooling worldwide. The report also noted that women still account for nearly two-thirds of all adults unable to read.
This report comes amid the Taliban’s ban on girls above grade six attending school and the prohibition on female university students continuing their education in Afghanistan. Despite international calls, including those from the Islamic world, the schools and universities in Afghanistan remain closed to female students.
UNESCO emphasized the need for gender equality throughout the education system, addressing access, content, teaching and learning contexts and practices, learning outcomes, and life and work opportunities.
A UN report from September 2023 highlighted that 80 percent of school-age Afghan girls are not in the classroom. “That’s 2.5 million girls denied their right to the safety, protection, and opportunity of education – their inherent human right,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait.
