2.4m Afghan girls barred from school since 2021

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PARIS/ KABUL:

The Taliban have barred an estimated 2.4 million Afghan girls from secondary education since they regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said on Tuesday.

The Taliban are preparing to mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power this week, as some nations expand ties with the government despite deepening human rights concerns among watchdogs.

Afghanistan is the only country where girls and women are formally banned from secondary and higher education, UNESCO said in its statement. It "risks condemning Afghanistan to decades of lost potential, deepening poverty, and irreversible harm," the agency said.

UNESCO estimates the ban on female secondary and higher education could cause 600,000 Afghan women to leave the workforce by 2066, lead to $9.6 billion in cumulative income losses and increase the risk of early marriage.

The Taliban-run Ministry of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

When the Taliban returned to power in 2021 amid the withdrawal of the United States and its allies, they repeatedly assured the international community that women would remain free to go to school and to study.

Despite those promises, secondary schools were closed for girls in March 2022, followed by a ban on women studying in universities in December 2022. The Taliban described both bans as temporary, but they have remained in place.

Taliban restrictions also limit women's employment and their movement.

The Taliban argue they respect women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.