5 years on, Afghan girls still barred from education under Taliban

August 12, 2026 - 03:01

A United Nations agency has confirmed that nearly five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, approximately 2.4 million girls are still denied access to secondary education. The figure, released in a new report, underscores the stark reality for young women in the country, where the ban on female schooling beyond the primary level remains firmly in place.

The report highlights that this exclusion is not a temporary setback but a sustained policy. Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, girls have been barred from classrooms starting at age 12, a restriction that has no parallel in the modern world. The U.N. agency noted that the cumulative effect of this ban means an entire generation of Afghan girls has grown up without the chance to learn, with many now facing an uncertain future.

Beyond the immediate loss of education, the report points to broader consequences. The lack of schooling has led to increased child marriage, higher rates of maternal mortality, and a deepening cycle of poverty for families. The agency called the situation a "national tragedy" and urged the international community to maintain pressure on the Taliban to reverse the policy, though it acknowledged that no significant change is expected in the near term. For now, the doors to secondary schools remain shut for millions of young Afghan women.