Archive · 12 Aug 2026
UNESCO: Taliban Barred 2.4 Million Afghan Girls From School
A group called UNESCO, which helps countries with schools and learning, says the Taliban have stopped about 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan from going to secondary school.
The Taliban are a group that has been in charge of Afghanistan since 2021.
Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls and women are officially not allowed to go to secondary school or university.
The Taliban promised when they took over that girls could keep studying, but in March 2022 they closed secondary schools to girls, and in December 2022 they banned women from universities.
UNESCO says this is very bad for Afghanistan's future, because fewer women will be able to work and the country could become poorer.
Without enough female teachers, some boys are being taught by unqualified teachers or have no teacher at all.
UNESCO also found that most 10-year-olds in Afghanistan cannot read a simple sentence, and nearly half of schools lack water, basic toilets, or heating.
In 2025, about 3 million people came back to Afghanistan, which put even more pressure on schools.
The Taliban say they are respecting women's rights according to their own beliefs and rules, but UNESCO says the bans are a grave violation of basic human rights.
UNESCO says the Taliban have barred an estimated 2.4 million Afghan girls from secondary education since regaining power in 2021.
Afghanistan is the only country where girls and women are formally banned from secondary and higher education.
Secondary schools were closed to girls in March 2022 and women were barred from universities in December 2022 despite earlier Taliban assurances.
UNESCO projects the ban could push 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in cumulative income losses.
UNESCO warns of a deficit of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030, with over 90% of 10-year-olds unable to read a simple text.
- Who
- UNESCO, which issued the report; the Taliban government, which imposed the bans; and an estimated 2.4 million Afghan girls affected.
- What
- UNESCO announced that 2.4 million Afghan girls have been barred from secondary education and that Afghanistan remains the only country formally banning girls and women from secondary and higher education.
- When
- The announcement was made on Tuesday, August 11; the bans have been in place since 2021, with secondary schools closed to girls in March 2022 and universities closed to women in December 2022.
- Where
- Afghanistan; UNESCO is based in Paris, and the report was covered from Paris and Kabul.
- Why
- The Taliban imposed the restrictions, which they say reflect their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, while UNESCO warns the ban risks condemning Afghanistan to decades of lost potential, deepening poverty, and irreversible harm.
UNESCO and human rights watchdogs
Taliban government
Women's education bans
UNESCO and human rights watchdogs
UNESCO says barring girls from secondary and higher education risks condemning Afghanistan to decades of lost potential, deepening poverty, and irreversible harm, and warns of lost income, a higher risk of early marriage, and a worsening teacher shortage.
Taliban government
The Taliban argue they respect women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, describing the bans as temporary.
International engagement
UNESCO and human rights watchdogs
Human rights watchdogs express deepening concerns over restrictions on women and girls as the bans persist.
Taliban government
Some nations are expanding ties with the Taliban government as it prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of its return to power.
- Girls barred from secondary education
- 2.4 million (since 2021)
- Secondary schools closed to girls
- March 2022
- Women banned from universities
- December 2022
- Projected workforce impact
- 600,000 women out of workforce by 2066
- Projected cumulative income losses
- $9.6 billion
- Female teacher deficit by 2030
- More than 11,000
- National literacy rate
- 37%; over 90% of 10-year-olds cannot read a simple text
- People returned to Afghanistan in 2025
- 3 million
Sources
2.4 million Afghan girls barred from secondary education since 2021 under Taliban rule: UNESCO
Taliban have barred 2.4 million Afghan girls from school since 2021, UNESCO says
24 Lakh Afghan Girls Shut Out Of Secondary School 5 Years After Taliban Takeover, UN Says
