By Olivia Le PoidevinGENEVA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Half of Afghan women now leave their homes only once or twice a month as Taliban-imposed restrictions curtail their freedom of movement and participation in public life, according to data released by U.N. Women on Wednesday.As the Taliban prepare to mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power this week, Afghanistan remains the only country in the world to ban girls from secondary education and women from attending university, stated the U.N. agency, which promotes gender equality.

It is shameful that half the country’s population continues to be overlooked by the international community.

A U.N. agency reports that five years after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, around 2.4 million girls remain excluded from secondary education.

Taliban barred 2.4 million Afghan girls from secondary education since 2021. Afghanistan is the only country with such formal bans on education. This risks condemning the nation…

Ban on women entering higher education leading to loss of teachers and health workers, Unesco warns