UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has announced that the closure of schools has forced girls in Afghanistan into underage marriages.
The organization published stories of several girls deprived of education in Afghanistan, stating that the restrictions imposed by the interim government have deepened gender inequality in the country.
UNICEF’s report highlights that girls in Afghanistan face significant challenges in their daily lives, and unlike many parts of the world, their rights have been stripped away.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s Executive Director, stated: “Education not only provides opportunities but also protects girls from early marriage, malnutrition, and other health issues.”
Bibigul, a 17-year-old girl, is one of thousands who have been forced into underage marriages after the current government banned girls from attending school beyond their sixth grade.
She told UNICEF about her deprivation of education: “I recently got engaged, and the worst part is that my parents didn’t even force me into it; I just lost hope and didn’t think I would find an opportunity to fulfill my dreams.”
Bibigul added: “Even though my fiancé is much older than me, I agreed to marry him.”
She says she would not have accepted marriage if she had not been deprived of her studies.
Another 17-year-old girl, who has a four-month-old child, told the UN Children’s Fund: “After the schools closed, I was told I had to get married because I had no other options.”
She added: “Hearing this as a child broke my heart and wounded my soul.”
This student was 14 years old when the current government closed girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade.
According to UNICEF statistics, from September 2021 until now, around 1.4 million girls have been deprived of education beyond the sixth grade.
UNESCO has also reported that a total of 2.5 million girls are currently out of school, which constitutes 80% of eligible school-aged girls in Afghanistan.