Afghanistan the only country banning girls from secondary school and women from university
Growing isolation means most Afghan women rarely leave home, while many report feeling unsafe...
Afghanistan stands alone as the sole country worldwide prohibiting girls from attending secondary school and women from pursuing university education, according to a recent UN Women report. Following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, the extremist group has systematically dismantled women's rights, leaving half of the Afghan population with limited freedoms, as revealed by UN Women's data.
The agency reports that over 2.4 million Afghan girls have been barred from secondary education, while more than 100 decrees targeting women and girls have been issued since the Taliban's takeover. The restrictions have left half of Afghan women leaving their homes only twice a month or less and nearly three-quarters feeling unsafe going out without a male guardian.
Mental health issues have worsened, with 70% of women describing their mental health as bad or very bad. The Taliban justifies their actions by claiming adherence to Islamic law and Afghan culture. However, the UN agency emphasizes that Afghanistan remains a stark outlier with no modern parallel to the current women's rights crisis.
Written by urgent.news from Nation Africa's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
