KABUL, Afghanistan — A global education advocacy group says more than 2.2 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to education since the Taliban returned to power, warning that the number could rise to over 4 million by 2030 if the current restrictions remain in place.
The group, Education Cannot Wait, posted on X that the start of a new academic year in Afghanistan has once again excluded girls above sixth grade from returning to the classroom. “Every girl — without exception — deserves safety, opportunity, education, and hope,” the organization wrote.
The group warned that if the current policy continues, the number of out-of-school girls could surpass 4 million within the next six years.
The statement comes as the Taliban mark the fourth consecutive school year without allowing girls to attend secondary schools or universities. On Sunday, the school year formally began with ceremonies held in Kabul and other provinces — all without the presence of female students or teachers.
Taliban officials, including the acting minister of education, made no mention of the ongoing ban on girls’ education during the opening ceremony in Kabul.
Afghan civil society activists and education advocates have condemned the continued exclusion of girls and women from the classroom, calling it a policy rooted in “deeply entrenched misogyny” that undermines national progress and public interest.
Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have enforced sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, most forms of employment, and freedom of movement without a male guardian — measures that have drawn international condemnation.
