2.4 MILLION AFGHAN GIRLS BANNED FROM SCHOOLS 5 YEARS AFTER TALIBAN TAKEOVER, UN SAYS

The United Nations announced on Tuesday that approximately 2.4 million Afghan girls have been barred from secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, five years after the takeover. The UN calls the policy a form of ‘gender apartheid’ and urges the Taliban to lift the ban, citing the restrictions as discriminatory.

According to the South China Morning Post, the Taliban, recognised only by Russia, have imposed a series of rules that prevent girls from studying beyond primary school, justifying the restriction on what it describes as an Islamic interpretation. The UN’s statement highlights the scale of the denial, noting that the same 2.4 million figure is echoed by UNESCO in an Al Jazeera report.

The Taliban’s 2021 takeover marked a sharp reversal of progress in women’s rights in Afghanistan, and the current ban on secondary education represents the most severe setback for girls’ learning in the country.

• UN reports 2.4 million Afghan girls denied access to secondary education since 2021.
• Taliban restricts girls to primary schooling only, citing an Islamic interpretation of the law.
• UN labels the restrictions ‘gender apartheid’ and calls for an end to the discrimination.

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