Calling on the Taliban of Afghanistan to allow girls to pursue education at all levels, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the restrictions on girls’ education have confined them to their homes and they are increasingly facing mental health problems, child marriage and early pregnancies.
In a statement yesterday, UNICEF warned that over 2.2 million adolescent girls will be excluded from schooling by the end of 2025. The agency urged them to lift restrictions without delay and ensure that every girl gets access to education at all levels, from primary school to higher education.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell voiced concerns over the deteriorating mental health challenges and increasing early marriages among Afghan girls banned from pursuing education for nearly four years.
Notably, the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan shortly after they seized power in August 2021.