Five years on: UNESCO calls for the full restoration of the right to education for Afghan girls and women

Afghanistan is the only country in the world to formally prohibit access to education for girls and women beyond the primary level. As of 2026, an estimated 2.4 million girls remain excluded from secondary education. These restrictions are reversing two decades of progress in expanding access to education: while access to schooling for girls was severely limited in 2001, by 2021 nearly one million girls were enrolled in secondary education.

The continued exclusion of girls and women from education constitutes a grave violation of their fundamental human right to learn and risks condemning Afghanistan to decades of lost potential, deepening poverty, and irreversible harm. At a time when nearly half of Afghans live below the poverty line, denying girls and women access to education and restricting their employment further undermines their ability to support their families and contribute to the country's economic future.

This exclusion also has harmful consequences on the wellbeing, mental and physical health of girls and women, while increasing the risks of early marriage. The de facto authorities' decision to prohibit female teachers from teaching boys further exacerbates teacher shortages and undermines the quality of education for all.

UNESCO remains determined to support Afghan girls and women by offering alternative pathways to learning through community-based education, literacy and skills development programmes, as well as psychosocial support. While these initiatives cannot replace access to formal schooling, they provide vital opportunities for learning to continue while restrictions remain in place. UNESCO and its partners, particularly the Global Partnership for Education, the European Union and Canada, are committed to providing not only educational opportunities, but also safe spaces where learners can build confidence, strengthen resilience and prepare for the future. To date, nearly 70,000 learners have benefited from UNESCO's programmes, 73 per cent of whom are women.

The impact is tangible. A recent study shows encouraging evidence that such literacy and skills development programmes contribute to increased household income and improved livelihoods. Beyond their economic benefits, learners' experience shows that education is not only about acquiring knowledge; it is also a source of dignity and resilience that enables women and their families to better navigate uncertainty and sustain hope in the future.

Afghanistan's girls and women have the right to learn, to work, to move freely, and to shape their own futures - and the world must not look away until their human rights are restored. Gender equality being a strategic priority for the Organization, UNESCO once again condemns discriminations against women and girls and calls for the immediate and unconditional restoration of their right to education. We will continue to work with communities and trusted partners to preserve every possible pathway to learning, dignity and opportunity for all.