NRC Chief Calls for Resumption of Girls’ Education in Afghanistan

Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), has called for the resumption of education for girls beyond primary school in Afghanistan, saying he raised the issue directly with Islamic Emirate leaders during meetings in Kabul and Kandahar.

Egeland said that with each passing year, thousands of female teachers and health workers are leaving the labour market, while no new graduates are entering to replace them. He warned that this trend is eroding Afghanistan’s already fragile health and education sectors, and described the situation as a serious concern for the country’s future.

He said the NRC would continue advocating for the resumption of education for women and girls at all levels, in accordance with Afghan traditions, and stressed that humanitarian organizations alone cannot fill the gap left by the absence of a functioning education system for girls.

Egeland also questioned the absence of diplomats and international envoys from Afghanistan, arguing that they should be present in the country and work alongside humanitarian organizations to advance women’s rights.

“You cannot do that from abroad,” he said, suggesting that sustained engagement on the ground is more effective than remote advocacy.

The NRC has repeatedly warned that restrictions on girls’ education are compounding Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, leaving millions of girls out of school and deepening the country’s shortage of qualified professionals, particularly in health care and teaching.

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