UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, have once again called for the restoration of the right to education for girls, women, and children in Afghanistan.
In their latest joint report released the two organizations stated that more than half of primary school-age children in Afghanistan are deprived of formal education.
UNESCO and UNICEF further warned that the continuation of educational restrictions will deprive an entire generation of opportunities for education and progress.
The two organizations stressed that barriers to education will also have a negative impact on Afghanistan’s future reconstruction and development.
Since taking control of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities have barred women and girls from education and higher learning. In their latest restriction, they also closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, despite the fact that the country’s healthcare sector is facing a shortage of personnel.
These measures by the current authorities have left millions of schoolgirls unable to continue their education.
In addition, women have been prohibited from accessing sports clubs, restaurants, and public bathhouses, being examined by male doctors, travelling without a male guardian (mahram), and working for domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even at United Nations offices in Afghanistan.
According to reports, if these bans continue, nearly four million girls could be deprived of education by 2030.
