UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has warned that the interim government in Afghanistan is endangering the future of a generation by depriving 1.4 million girls of education.
In a statement, the organization reported that since the current government came to power, the number of boys and girls enrolled in primary education has decreased by 1.1 million. The current government took power on August 15, 2021, and banned education for girls in secondary and higher education the following year.
UNESCO stated: “UNESCO is concerned about the harmful consequences of the rising dropout rates, which could lead to an increase in child labor and early marriage.”
The UN agency warned: “In just three years, the current authorities have reversed nearly two decades of sustainable educational progress in Afghanistan, and the future of an entire generation is now at risk.”
According to UNESCO statistics, 2.5 million girls are currently deprived of education, representing 80% of school-age girls in Afghanistan. The UN agency emphasized that since 2021, the leaders of the current government have “deliberately” denied at least 1.4 million girls access to secondary education.
It should be noted that Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are not allowed to attend secondary schools and universities. No country has recognized the current government as the official government of Afghanistan.
Although some UN officials have referred to the restrictions imposed by the current government on women as “gender apartheid,” the organization has yet to accept requests to recognize the government’s anti-women policies as “gender apartheid.”
