The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that shortages of schools, teachers and resources are creating serious barriers to children’s access to education in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the agency said the ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade also limits their opportunities to enter the labor market, particularly in fields such as health care and education.
OCHA emphasized that education is more than learning; it is an investment in the future and the well-being of communities.
Since taking control of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities have barred women and girls from education and higher studies. In their latest restrictions, they also closed medical institutes to women and girls, even as the country’s health sector faces a shortage of personnel.
The measures have kept millions of school-age girls from receiving an education.
Women have also been barred from going to sports clubs, restaurants and public baths; being examined by male doctors; traveling without a male guardian; and working for domestic and international non-governmental organizations or even at UN offices in Afghanistan.
According to reports, if the ban remains in place, nearly four million girls could be deprived of an education by 2030.
It remains unclear when girls will be allowed to return to formal classrooms.
