Despite the continued restrictions on girls’ secondary and higher education in Afghanistan, many Afghan girls continue their studies through private courses, informal classes, and online learning.
According to a joint report by UNESCO and UNICEF, approximately 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan are deprived of education, while the presence of women and girls in the country’s public and private universities has dropped to zero.
UNICEF has warned that if these restrictions continue until 2030, the number of girls deprived of education will reach four million, and Afghanistan will face a serious shortage of female teachers and healthcare workers.
Meanwhile, UNESCO says that online and informal education cannot replace in-person learning in schools and universities, and that girls’ right to education must be restored unconditionally.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has also called for the reopening of schools and universities to girls on the occasion of the International Day of Science for Peace and Development.
The Taliban’s ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade has been widely condemned both inside and outside Afghanistan.
