Taliban wipes out decades of progress as 2.4M Afghan girls remain locked out of school, UN agency says
According to UNESCO, 2.4 million Afghan girls are currently denied secondary education, reversing decades of progress since the Taliban regained control in 2021. Afghanistan is the only country globally that formally prohibits girls from education beyond primary school.
The story so far
- Aug 11
How outlets cover it
3 outletsNot rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Open questions and key claims
Around 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The Taliban administration has imposed a series of restrictions on women that the United Nations has characterised as “gender apartheid”.
The number of girls denied access to secondary school has risen by 200,000 since last year.
2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are denied access to secondary education.
2.4 million girls remain locked out of secondary school in Afghanistan.
Ninety percent of 10-year-olds in Afghanistan cannot read a simple text.
The Taliban has refused to lift education restrictions, calling it a domestic matter.
Afghanistan is the only country in the world to stop girls and women attending secondary schools and universities.
Who and where
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