Afghanistan education crisis: 2.4 million girls denied secondary schooling FAST-MOVING
UNESCO reports that approximately 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. This number has increased by 200,000 over the past year. If current restrictions persist, the number of girls deprived of secondary schooling could reach nearly four million by 2030.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world to formally prohibit women and girls from accessing education beyond the primary level. These policies, which include bans on university attendance and teaching, are described by the United Nations as “gender apartheid.”
The restrictions are expected to cause a severe shortage of educators, with UNESCO estimating a deficit of over 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030. This shortage is exacerbated by the ban on women teaching boys, leaving many students with unqualified instructors or no teachers at all.
Beyond the social impact, the educational restrictions carry heavy economic consequences. UNESCO estimates the exclusion of women and girls from the workforce and education could cost Afghanistan $9.6 billion by 2066. Additionally, the country faces a broader literacy crisis, with over 90% of 10-year-olds unable to read a simple text.
Entities
Afghanistan · Hoda Jaberian · Taliban · UNESCO · United Nations
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] More than 90% of ten-year-old children in Afghanistan cannot read a simple text. www.bienpublic.com · www.la-croix.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Afghanistan is the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly prohibited for girls and women. www.la-croix.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] If the ban persists, nearly four million girls could be deprived of education by 2030. www.bienpublic.com · www.la-croix.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] A UN survey found that nine out of 10 Afghan men believe it is important for girls to attend secondary school. www.enca.com · thefrontierpost.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 2.4 million young Afghan girls have been deprived of secondary education since the Taliban returned to power. www.bienpublic.com · www.la-croix.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The restrictions on women and girls are estimated to cost Afghanistan $9.6 billion by 2066. centreline.com.pk · islamabadpost.com.pk
- [● 12 SOURCES] About 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. centreline.com.pk · observador.pt · islamabadpost.com.pk · kelo.com · wixx.com · +7 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Afghanistan is projected to face a deficit of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030. kelo.com · wixx.com · www.al-monitor.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Over 90% of 10-year-old children in Afghanistan are unable to read a simple text. kelo.com · wixx.com · elmercurio.com.ec · www.bienpublic.com · www.la-croix.com
- [● 12 SOURCES] The number of girls denied secondary education could reach nearly four million by 2030 if the ban continues. centreline.com.pk · observador.pt · islamabadpost.com.pk · kelo.com · wixx.com · +7 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Afghanistan is the only country globally that formally prohibits girls and women from accessing education beyond the primary level. centreline.com.pk · kelo.com · wixx.com · elmercurio.com.ec · www.enca.com · +3 more