UNICEF Urges Taliban to Reopen Schools and Universities to Girls
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the Taliban administration to immediately lift education restrictions and create conditions for girls and women to return to schools and universities. The agency said the continuation of these bans has deprived millions of girls of their right to education.
In a post on X on Thursday, 26 September, UNICEF said Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls’ education remains banned beyond primary level. The agency urged Taliban authorities to reopen the doors of educational institutions to girls.
According to UNICEF, more than 2.6 million girls have been deprived of education during the Taliban administration’s five years in power. This deprivation has continued despite repeated warnings from international organizations about the social and educational consequences of the decision.
The appeal comes as the Taliban administration, on this day five years ago, 26 September 2021, issued a decree banning girls’ education at the secondary and high school levels. After that, restrictions on girls’ and women’s access to universities were also expanded.
UNICEF is one of the main United Nations agencies supporting children and operates in Afghanistan in the areas of education, health, and child protection.
