UNICEF Urges Taliban: Lift Education Ban on Afghan Girls Now

UNICEF has called upon Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to lift the ban on female education, impacting millions of Afghan girls. The ban, enforced since the Taliban's resurgence in 2021, prevents girls beyond sixth grade from attending school, violating their right to education and threatening future generations.

In a direct appeal, the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, has urged Afghanistan's Taliban government to revoke its ongoing prohibition on girls' education, highlighting the threats this poses to millions of young Afghans' futures. The agency's appeal comes as the new school year begins, with girls beyond sixth grade still barred from classrooms.

The ban, enacted when the Taliban returned to power in 2021, has affected an additional 400,000 girls, totaling 2.2 million deprived of their educational rights. Afghanistan remains the only country banning female secondary and higher education, a policy the Taliban justifies through their interpretation of Sharia law.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF's executive director, emphasized the severe, long-term effects of denying education to these 'capable, bright young girls'. If unchanged, by 2030, over four million girls might miss crucial education opportunities. Russell forecasts a decline in female healthcare professionals, predicting additional maternal and infant deaths, stressing the human cost of these policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)