UNICEF Renews Call to Reopen Girls’ Schools in Afghanistan

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has once again urged the Taliban to reopen girls’ schools across Afghanistan, warning that the country’s future prosperity, stability, and humanitarian survival depend on equal access to education.

In a renewed statement on Tuesday, September 23, Sen Gupta, UNICEF’s Director of Child Protection, emphasized that schooling is not only about acquiring knowledge, but also about safeguarding Afghan girls from early marriage, child labor, and life-threatening early pregnancies.

“Education is a shield,” Gupta said. “When girls are in school, they are less vulnerable to exploitation, more empowered to make choices for themselves, and better prepared to contribute to the rebuilding of their country.”

Since the Taliban regained control in 2021, Afghanistan has become the only country in the world where girls are systematically banned from attending secondary school and university. The prohibition, which has persisted for four consecutive academic years, has kept millions of adolescent girls locked out of classrooms—an exclusion that UNICEF and other rights groups describe as one of the gravest injustices of the modern era.

UNICEF officials warn that the prolonged closure of schools is not only denying young Afghan women opportunities, but also undermining the country’s long-term social and economic development. “No society can move forward when half of its population is held back,” the agency noted.

In its latest report, UNICEF also drew attention to Afghanistan’s deteriorating healthcare system. The agency highlighted the alarming rise in preventable illnesses, chronic child malnutrition, and widespread gaps in medical access. Restrictions on female health workers, it said, have further limited the ability of women and children to receive life-saving treatment, compounding the crisis.

Aid organizations and independent analysts caution that unless both education and healthcare restrictions are lifted, Afghanistan risks creating a “lost generation.” The consequences, they warn, would be devastating: deepening poverty, intensifying humanitarian emergencies, and pushing the country into further isolation from the international community.

Despite mounting international pressure, the Taliban leadership has so far refused to reverse its policies on girls’ education and women’s employment in key sectors, a stance that continues to draw condemnation worldwide.

UNICEF reiterated that the reopening of girls’ schools must be treated as a national and global priority. “Investing in education is investing in Afghanistan’s future,” the agency stated. “The longer girls remain out of school, the harder it will be for the country to recover.”

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