UNICEF: Ban on Girls’ Education Costs Afghanistan $84 Million Annually
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that the Taliban administration’s ban on education and work for women and girls causes an annual loss of 5.3 billion Afghanis, equivalent to 84 million US dollars, to Afghanistan’s economy. According to the agency’s recent report, this figure equals 0.5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023.
On Tuesday, April 25, UNICEF published this report warning that these damages accumulate gradually, slowing Afghanistan’s future growth and undermining prospects for sustainable economic recovery. The agency emphasized that the consequences of these policies extend beyond economic figures.
UNICEF stated that the most immediate threat is the erosion of the country’s education and health systems. In the absence of young women in the skilled workforce, these sectors will face a severe shortage of staff in the coming years, directly impacting women and children’s access to essential services.
The agency added that the continuation of this situation could pose serious threats to maternal and child health and entail intergenerational costs whose effects will extend beyond the current crisis.
Based on statistics provided in the report, since 2024, 3.8 million girls aged 7 to 18 in Afghanistan have been deprived of schooling, including 2.6 million adolescent girls. Additionally, in the past five years, at least one million girls have been directly affected by restrictions imposed on secondary education.
UNICEF warned that if these restrictions persist, the number of girls deprived of education will exceed two million by 2030. The agency also predicted that Afghanistan will lose more than 20,000 skilled teachers and 5,400 trained health workers over the next four years.
The United Nations Children’s Fund has called on the Taliban administration to lift the ban on education for women and girls and enable their return to schools and educational centers. The agency has also urged the international community to continue and strengthen its support for girls’ education in Afghanistan.
