OCHA: Taliban Must Immediately End Ban on Girls’ Education in Afghanistan

In a message posted on its official X account, OCHA highlighted that the ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade under Taliban rule is now in its third year. The organization emphasized that over the past three years, 1.5 million adolescent girls have been deprived of their right to education beyond the sixth grade.

These criticisms and demands come as the new academic year in Afghanistan approaches. However, it remains unclear whether the Taliban government will allow girls to return to schools and universities in the upcoming academic year.

It is worth noting that after regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban first banned girls above the sixth grade from attending school and later closed universities to female students. In their latest move, the Taliban have also prohibited girls from studying at medical institutes, effectively denying them access to formal education entirely.

These actions by the Taliban have left millions of female students without access to education, jeopardizing their futures. Additionally, women and girls in Afghanistan are barred from entering sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, including UN offices.