News Center- As a new school year has begun in Afghanistan, girls above the sixth grade have been deprived of their right to education since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021.

“As a new school year begins in Afghanistan, the doors remain shut to thousands of girls—for the third year in a row,” UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said in a post on social media platform X.

“This violation of their right to education will haunt generations. Girls must return to school. Their fundamental rights must be restored—without delay.”

‘Almost 400,000 more girls have been deprived of their right to education’

In a statement on Friday, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that almost 400,000 more girls have been deprived of their right to education in Afghanistan.

“As a new school year begins in Afghanistan, it marks three years since the start of the ban on girls' secondary education,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said on the third anniversary of the ban on secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. “This decision continues to harm the future of millions of Afghan girls. If this ban persists until 2030, over four million girls will have been deprived of their right to education beyond primary school.”