92% of Afghans Demand Continued Education for Girls: UN Report Highlights Taliban Restrictions

Kokcha News Agency – In a recent report, the United Nations Women’s section has revealed that 92% of Afghans emphasize the necessity of continuing girls’ education. The findings, based on a national survey, show that Afghans from all social strata and backgrounds are nearly unanimous in their support for girls’ right to education.

The report, published four years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, covers ten key areas, including education, employment, security, and freedom of movement for women. It highlights the extensive and profound impact of Taliban-imposed restrictions on the lives of women and girls.

According to the survey data, 92% of respondents stated that continuing girls’ education is “essential and important.” Support for girls’ education is not only high in urban areas but also in rural regions, where 87% of men and 95% of women supported girls’ education. In urban areas, the figure was 95% for both men and women.

Susan Ferguson, the UN Special Representative for Women in Afghanistan, commented on the findings, saying, “This is almost the first demand that Afghan girls express to us. They are eager to study and only ask for the opportunity to learn. Families also know that education can change the lives of girls, especially in a country where half the population lives below the poverty line.”

In a separate phone survey conducted in July and August 2025, 97% of women in areas where the Taliban have banned women from working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) stated that this decision has had a direct negative impact on their daily lives. More than half of the active NGOs also confirmed that Taliban restrictions have disrupted their ability to provide essential services to women and girls.

The report also found that nearly three-quarters of Afghan women described their mental health as “bad” or “very bad.” Despite this, 40% of women remain hopeful for a future of equality and change. However, three-quarters of women said they have no role in social decision-making, and many are deprived of the right to participate even within their own families or households.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have imposed unprecedented restrictions on women, including banning girls from education beyond the sixth grade, closing universities to women, preventing women from working in government and private institutions, restricting movement without a male guardian, closing parks, and increasing pressure under the guise of “promoting virtue and preventing vice.” Human rights organizations have described these policies as “gender apartheid.”

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for the Taliban’s leader and chief justice due to widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan, drawing global attention to the critical situation of women in the country.

The findings of this report indicate that the Taliban’s policies not only go against the wishes of the Afghan people but have also led to deep social divisions and severe psychological and economic harm to women. The continuation of these policies could further erode the Taliban’s domestic legitimacy and intensify international pressure against the group.