Georgette Gagnon, the head of UNAMA, once again urged the authorities of the interim government of Afghanistan to lift the restrictions on girls’ education and to create opportunities for their return to schooling at all levels.
During her visit to the Istalif district of Kabul province, Ms. Gagnon visited a girls’ primary school and stated that girls should be able to continue their education and play a role in the development and progress of Afghanistan.
A video released by UNAMA shows Ms. Gagnon meeting with local officials and several community leaders during her visit, discussing challenges, economic needs, and educational issues in the Istalif district.
During this visit, she also toured a computer lab established with the support of the United Nations at a girls’ primary school and emphasized the importance of girls’ access to information technology and digital skills.
This comes at a time when the interim government has halted education for girls above the sixth grade since regaining power, and in December 2022, also banned girls and women from continuing their studies at universities.
Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls are deprived of secondary and higher education.
According to statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), over 2.5 million girls in Afghanistan are denied their right to education, and if this ban continues, their number is expected to exceed four million by 2030.
Additionally, UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) has warned that the continuation of these restrictions until 2030 could leave Afghanistan with a shortage of more than 20,000 female teachers and 5,400 female health workers.
UNICEF states that the ongoing deprivation of girls from education not only harms the educational system but also increases the risks of early marriage, reduces the presence of female professionals in education and health sectors, and raises maternal and infant mortality rates.
