UNICEF Urges Taliban To Lift Girls' Education Ban, Warns Of Catastrophic Impact

UNICEF has called on Afghanistan's Taliban government to lift its ban on girls' education, which has deprived 2.2 million girls of their right to education since the Taliban's return to power in 2021. As the new school year starts, the ban has affected an additional 400,000 girls, making Afghanistan the only country in the world with such restrictions on female secondary and higher education. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that if the ban persists until 2030, it could result in over four million girls being denied education, leading to long-term societal repercussions. The decline in educated women is projected to cause significant health crises, including thousands of additional maternal and infant deaths. Russell emphasized the urgency of allowing girls to return to school, stating that the consequences of continued denial of education could be catastrophic. The Taliban defends the ban as being in line with their interpretation of Sharia law, despite international condemnation and calls for change.