The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has recently announced that widespread gaps in educational infrastructure and restrictive policies against girls are exacerbating gender inequality in educational opportunities in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the organization identified infrastructural gaps, restrictive policies against girls, and a shortage of teachers as major educational challenges in Afghanistan.
The statement reads: “The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Afghanistan anticipates that eight million people will need educational assistance this year.”
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees emphasized that under the “Education Strategy for Afghanistan 2024-2027,” they are working with their partners to address these gaps, including building schools, training teachers, and developing online education.
Furthermore, it stated that this program supports efforts to ensure safe and equitable access to education for all, particularly the lifting of the ban on education for women and girls.
The organization added that it closely collaborates with agencies such as UNICEF, UNESCO, and Save the Children to facilitate access to education.
According to this organization, eight million people in Afghanistan require educational assistance.
The statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees highlighted that the organization has linked its activities to various initiatives, including conducting awareness sessions on gender-based violence for teachers and providing psychological support to educational programs.
It is noteworthy that the United Nations has expressed concern over the worsening gender inequality in Afghanistan at a time when girls are currently not allowed to receive education beyond the sixth grade in schools and universities, and recently, women’s education in medical institutes has also been banned.
