A “vicious cycle” caused by the ban on Afghan women accessing higher education is leading to shortages of teachers and health workers, Unesco has warned, five years since the Taliban returned to power.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world that has formally prohibited women and girls from accessing education beyond primary level, with the effects now being felt starkly by the population.
The Taliban took control of the country in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and UK troops. It quickly implemented a ban on girls entering primary and secondary education before later extending this to cover the tertiary sector as well.
More than 100,000 Afghan women were enrolled in higher education in December 2022 when the ban was introduced.
In a press briefing, Hoda Jaberian, programme coordinator for education in emergencies at Unesco, said that Afghanistan “is facing a crisis of access, a crisis of gender equality, and a crisis of learning at the same time”.
