The forgotten 20 million: why is the world neglecting Afghanistan’s girls and women?

Five years have passed since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and nearly four years have elapsed since girls and women were barred from secondary and higher education. Women are prohibited from holding public-sector positions, and there appear to be growing efforts to overlook their plight on the global stage.

Researchers interviewed an Afghan academic who expressed her feelings of despair, describing the situation as akin to being at a crossroads with uncertain outcomes. The Taliban initially pledged that girls and women would not be excluded from education and workplaces upon ascending to power in August 2021, but evidence quickly emerged that these assurances were not being upheld.

Conditions for girls and women have deteriorated over the past five years, and as nations establish ties with the Taliban, they do so without advocating for improvements in human rights. Approximately 20 million Afghan women and girls have been neglected by the international community. The number of excluded girls from secondary education has reached 2.4 million, and over 100,000 young women have been denied access to higher education since 2021.

Opportunities for boys and men are also diminishing, with higher education enrollment declining by 40% between 2019 and 2024. Women have been able to contribute to society in limited capacities, such as providing essential services like healthcare and humanitarian aid to those facing severe hunger, but they do so at great personal risk.

Recent actions by the Taliban include banning women from entering UN facilities and the closure of the Baran Health Sciences Institute in Bamiyan. Additionally, the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education has recently issued directives prohibiting the teaching of 680 books by women, authors from Western countries, or Iran, and the removal of courses focusing on gender studies, women's rights, religion history, and democracy.

Furthermore, there is no longer a minimum legal age for marriage, effectively legalizing child marriage. International stakeholders, including Pakistan, Iran, the United States, and several European countries, have failed to provide adequate support for Afghan girls and women. Key nations like Pakistan and Iran have recently sent one million people each back to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom have implemented stringent visa restrictions on Afghan nationals, rendering it nearly impossible for them to work or study in these countries. However, some glimmers of hope exist. UNESCO is providing access to literacy programs in communities, and the American University of Afghanistan, now based in Doha, Qatar, is helping women and girls access education virtually.

Despite receiving over 21,000 applications for its undergraduate courses in 2025, only 281 spots are available, indicating a significant demand. Afghan academics in exile are also working to establish the Afghanistan Online University to offer education to women. However, the Taliban's capability to shut down online resources at any moment poses a significant threat to these valuable educational initiatives.

Olga Cherevko, a representative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Kabul, emphasized that many people mistakenly believe conditions for women in Afghanistan have improved due to a lack of civil conflict. However, this is far from the truth, and the international community must continue to advocate for these 20 million girls and women who have been forgotten.