UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has recently stated that through investments made by partner organizations in education, children across all regions can attend school and benefit from equal learning opportunities. In a post on its official X account, the organization wrote that such investments help transform classrooms in areas like Badakhshan into safe and suitable learning spaces where children can learn and truly thrive. UNICEF further emphasized that providing “new school bags, fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, and trained teachers” plays a vital role in improving the quality of education. The United Nations has also consistently stressed that supporting education in remote areas not only enhances learning opportunities but also creates renewed hope and motivation for children and their families. Previously, UNICEF reported that Afghanistan’s education system is at a critical point, with more than 90 percent of 10-year-old children in the country unable to read a simple text. Since taking control of Afghanistan, the current authorities have barred women and girls from education and schooling. In their latest restriction, they have also closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, despite the fact that the health sector across Afghanistan is facing a severe shortage of personnel. This action by the current authorities has resulted in millions of female students being deprived of education. In addition, women have been banned from attending sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

UN Women has announced that women and girls around the world seek equality and justice in order to live better lives. In a message posted on its official X account, the organization emphasized the fundamental and essential needs of women, stating that respect for women and girls and the protection of their rights must be made a priority. In part of its message, UN Women stressed: “Let us tell the world what women really want.” The United Nations further added that women and girls across the globe not only demand equality and justice, but also need respect, human dignity, security, and peace. Previously, UN Women had also announced that in 2026 it would support women’s leadership worldwide, pursuing this not merely as a promise but as a right. This comes at a time when the situation of women in crisis-affected countries, including Afghanistan, is deeply concerning, as they are deprived of their most basic rights such as the right to education, equality, and justice. Since taking control of Afghanistan, the current authorities have barred women and girls from education and schooling. In their latest restriction, they have also closed the doors of medical institutes to women and girls, despite the healthcare sector across Afghanistan facing a severe shortage of personnel. This action by the current authorities has resulted in millions of female students being excluded from education. In addition, women have been banned from attending sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has said that women’s empowerment is a pillar of sustainable development in countries and that religion should be used to support women’s rights. Mr. Ibrahim Taha made these remarks at the International Conference on Religious Discourse and Its Impact on the Protection of Muslim Women’s Rights, held in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. He stated that the meeting emphasized the need to use religion “in a rational and enlightening manner” to ensure and strengthen women’s rights. He further stressed that women’s empowerment is not merely a human right, but rather “a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and the stability of Islamic societies.” The OIC Secretary-General described the formulation of policies that guarantee the active participation of women in all sectors as essential, and reaffirmed the organization’s “strong commitment” to supporting women’s rights. The two-day event was attended by ministers of women’s affairs from member states, representatives of international organizations, and government officials. This comes as the United Nations Security Council announced in the month of Qaws (December) that the policies of the caretaker government against women cause more than one billion dollars in losses to Afghanistan’s economy each year. Research into the economic consequences of depriving Afghan women of education and employment shows that government bans inflict more than 1.4 billion dollars in damage on Afghanistan’s economy annually. At least 75 Islamic countries, including Afghanistan, are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Afghanistan has been a member of the organization since its establishment in 1969 (1348). In a meeting held in Qaws last year, the organization stated that the ban on girls’ education by the current government violates its resolutions, adding that women in Afghanistan have faced serious violations of their fundamental rights in the field of education.

The United Nations has announced that Adela Raz, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the UN, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a member of the Independent Expert Advisory Board on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) for the 2026–2030 term. In a statement, the UN said that the board has been established to strengthen the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and to provide evidence-based assessments of the structural vulnerabilities of developing countries. According to the statement, board members will serve in an independent capacity and play a key role in the three-year reviews of the index, monitoring countries’ progress, and providing policy recommendations. The United Nations further emphasized that the advisory board consists of 15 experts from different countries with expertise in economic, social, environmental development, and resilience, and also includes representatives from the public sector, civil society, and academia. The statement added that the MVI Advisory Board will hold its first meeting in 2026 and will begin preparations for the first three-year review of the index in 2028. Adela Raz’s appointment comes at a time when the current authorities, following their takeover of Afghanistan, have deprived women and girls of education and learning opportunities. Most recently, they have closed medical institutes to women and girls, despite the nationwide shortage of healthcare personnel across Afghanistan. These actions by the current authorities have resulted in millions of female students being denied access to education. In addition, women have been barred from attending sports clubs, restaurants, and public bathhouses; from being examined by male doctors; from traveling without a male guardian; and from working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, has recently stated that as a result of restrictions imposed by the caretaker government, more than 2.2 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to education, and that the educational and legal conditions of women and girls in the country are steadily deteriorating. Referring to the ban on secondary and higher education for girls, Mr. Brown said: “What is happening in Afghanistan today has been described by international institutions as a form of gender apartheid, and its scope is expanding at an alarming rate.” He further emphasized that since the return of the current authorities to power, women have been barred from university education, many government and non-government jobs, and participation in public spaces, and that these restrictions have intensified in recent years. He warned that the continuation of this trend will have long-term consequences for Afghanistan’s social and economic future. The UN Special Envoy for Global Education also pointed to the increased engagement of some countries with the caretaker government, noting that this approach, at a time when restrictions on women are intensifying, has raised concerns at the international level. Brown added that in international forums, including the UN Human Rights Council, discussions are underway about conditioning any engagement with the current authorities on respect for girls’ educational rights, and that some institutions are examining legal avenues to hold government officials accountable. According to him, despite the absence of an organized opposition force inside Afghanistan, efforts such as informal and underground education, home-based schools, and the continued education of some girls abroad are still ongoing. The UN Special Envoy stressed that “failing to invest in the education of half of the country’s population severely weakens Afghanistan’s capacity to cope with economic crises, poverty, and food insecurity,” and that this issue will be one of the country’s major challenges in the future. These concerns are being raised as women and girls have been deprived of their most basic rights for more than four years.