By Restricting Girls' Education, Afghanistan Faces Future With Fewer Teachers, Health Workers — UNICEF

'I miss school very much'

 

"This is what it feels like to be left behind," says Wahida, 14.

Wahida (name changed) had to stop going to school upon reaching sixth grade — unable to continue due to a ban on girls’ secondary education in Afghanistan, implemented by the country's de facto authorities in September 2021.

 

"It has been a year since I was stopped from going to school, and I have been staying at home," Wahida says. "Ever since I had to stop, I have felt very sad and heartbroken  ... I miss school very much. I miss my classmates and my friends."

When she was a student, Wahida would wake up early, get ready and go to class. Now, she says, "there is not much to do. I help my mother with the housework. Sometimes I try to study at home, but it is hard without a classroom, teachers and friends around me."

 

Wahida's mother works as a cleaner at a hospital at night and at a school during the day. Because she herself did not have the chance to study, she says, "I wanted my daughter to succeed and not remain without education like me. We always dreamed that our daughter would become a teacher or a doctor. Now, when I think that she cannot finish her education, it is painful. These girls, their time is being wasted."

 

Wahida has a strong desire to study, her mother adds, "but our financial situation is very difficult. I cannot buy her a mobile phone or pay for the internet."

Cost of inaction: long-term economic and social collapse

In a new report, UNICEF warns that every year that Afghanistan restricts girls' and women's participation in secondary education will lock in another cohort of girls who will never enter the skilled labor force — with significant social and economic consequences, according to UNICEF Innocenti's Office of Strategy and Evidence. 

According to an Innocenti report released on April 28, 2026, banning education for girls and women past sixth grade in Afghanistan — and restricting their access to training and employment — has already caused an estimated 0.5 percent drop in the country's gross domestic product.

In "The Cost of Inaction on Girls' Education and Women's Labor Force Participation in Afghanistan", UNICEF recommends that the de facto authorities (DFA) lift the ban on girls’ secondary and higher education to avoid further lost economic growth. 

Noting evidence of a close link between mothers' education and child health outcomes, the report also warns the ban could lead to an increase in child stunting and declines in vaccination coverage and antenatal care. 

UNICEF has long advocated for girls' right to education on the grounds that depriving them of this right increases their risks of child marriage while threatening their mental health.

"The DFA should safeguard skills training and allow women to participate in the labor market," the report states. "This action could add 0.5 percentage points to growth annually, with further gains if education and employment opportunities for women expand."

Afghanistan since the 2021 Taliban takeover

Afghanistan has suffered a string of disasters in recent years. Prolonged droughts have disrupted agriculture and threatened food security for many families. Multiple earthquakes in 2022 and 2025 resulted in deaths, injuries and displacements.

Another stressor has been the return of migrants from Iran and Pakistan. As of December 2025, there were close to 3 million returnees — many of them school-aged, adding pressure on already stretched social services.

An estimated 45 percent of Afghanistan's population — some 21.9 million people, including 8 million children — are projected to need humanitarian assistance in 2026. Acute malnutrition among children is widespread.

No girl is enrolled in school past sixth grade since the ban on girls' secondary school education took effect in September 2021. An estimated 1 million girls have already been directly affected. If the ban continues, there will be 2 million girls deprived of their right to education beyond primary school by the year 2030.

Meanwhile, an estimated 600,000 skilled women are expected to exit the workforce over the next 35 years. 

"The large share of girls not in education, employment or training is an economic drain with potential negative effects on resilience," UNICEF's report states. "While part of this gap may be offset by recent skilled returnees from Iran and Pakistan, the overall trend does not bode well in the long term."

A significant number of Afghanistan's universities — 40 out of 129 — are at risk of closure due to declines in revenue and reductions in student and teacher numbers, particularly among female students and teachers, the study shows.

Two critical employment sectors in which educated women are needed — and in which they are allowed to participate — are teaching and health care services. With no new candidates being educated and trained, both sectors face potentially severe workforce shortages. 

Related: Education Lost for Afghanistan's Girls 

"I dream of becoming a doctor and helping people," Wahida says. "When I see other women working, it gives me hope that maybe one day schools will reopen for girls, and I will be able to continue my education and build my future."

How UNICEF supports adolescent girls in Afghanistan

UNICEF supports community-based education in Afghanistan, an approach that provides alternative learning pathways for those excluded from formal education — including adolescent girls. These initiatives were in place before the ban, helping to address under-enrollment among students (especially girls) who couldn't otherwise attend school because it was not safe or they lived too far away.

In March 2025, UNICEF reported it was providing education to 445,000 children, roughly two-thirds of them girls. 

Adolescent girls up to age 15 who missed out on primary education can attend classes at UNICEF-supported accelerated learning centers. There are 3,500 ALCs in the country supported by donor partners like the German Committee for UNICEF "Let Us Learn" initiative and the Asian Development Bank.

In 2024, there were 85,000 girls enrolled in studies at ALCs, with UNICEF providing backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils and other essential learning materials. 

"This class is a second chance for me not to give up on my dreams," says Maryam, who attends an ALC near her home in western Afghanistan.

UNICEF also supports skills-development programs, and has been working to expand non-formal vocational and skills training opportunities for adolescents, especially girls.

The courses target boys, girls and young women across Afghanistan who face extreme poverty or are at risk of harmful coping mechanisms, such as early marriage or dangerous unaccompanied migration. They aim to equip participants with practical skills, empowering them to earn an income, support their families and achieve financial independence. 

"This training means a second chance and a comeback from a distressed and frustrated life," says Ruqia, who learned carpet weaving through a UNICEF-supported program in Herat province for young women aged 15 to 25.  

Learn more about UNICEF-supported programs focused on youth skills building — and how these programs fit into the broader mission of ensuring children are educated, respected and protected.

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