Taliban shuts down UN-backed girls’ schools in Afghanistan

The Taliban has closed several community-based girls’ schools in Afghanistan’s Logar and Paktika provinces, sparking condemnation from women’s rights groups. The schools, established by the United Nations through agencies like UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education, provided essential learning opportunities for girls beyond grade six, particularly in rural areas lacking formal education facilities.

The Afghan women’s rights group “Lanterns of Women’s Freedom,” led by activist Hajar Azada, called the closures a “silent crime against Afghanistan’s future,” accusing the Taliban of fearing educated women. Hundreds of girls have reportedly been forced out of school, dashing their hopes of becoming doctors, teachers, or engineers. Rights advocates have urged the UN and global community to intervene and reopen the schools.

Suggestions include increasing diplomatic pressure, creating independent monitoring bodies, ensuring teacher safety, and supporting online or underground schooling alternatives. UNESCO estimates that 2.5 million Afghan girls are currently denied education, including 1.4 million affected since 2021.