The ongoing crisis in Afghanistan is severely impacting children’s access to education and healthcare, while simultaneously undermining the nation’s economy and essential services that rely on skilled female professionals.
A recent analysis by UNICEF, titled “The Cost of Inaction on Girls’ Education and Women’s Labour Force Participation in Afghanistan,” revealed a significant drop in female representation within the civil service. Between 2023 and 2025, this figure declined from 21 percent to 17.7 percent.
Girls Locked Out of Education
Since September 2021, when Taliban authorities banned girls from secondary education, over one million girls have been denied their fundamental right to learn. Projections indicate that if this ban remains in effect until 2030, more than two million girls will have missed out on education beyond primary school. This is particularly concerning in a country that already struggles with one of the lowest female literacy rates globally.
“Afghanistan cannot afford to lose future teachers, nurses, doctors, midwives and social workers, who sustain essential services. This will be the reality if girls continue to be excluded from education,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “We urge the de facto authorities to lift the ban on secondary education for girls and call on the international community to remain committed to supporting girls’ rights to learn.”
Essential Services at Risk
The report highlights a critical “dual crisis” facing Afghanistan: the loss of experienced female professionals and the failure to cultivate a new generation to replace them. By 2030, the country is projected to lose as many as 20,000 women teachers and 5,400 healthcare workers.
The education sector is already experiencing the consequences, with the number of female teachers in basic education decreasing by over nine percent, from nearly 73,000 in 2022 to approximately 66,000 in 2024. This decline jeopardizes children’s learning, especially for girls, who are more inclined to attend and remain in school when taught by female educators.
Healthcare Impact
The healthcare sector faces particularly severe repercussions, as societal norms often restrict women from seeking medical care from male practitioners. UNICEF has warned that a reduction in female health workers will directly limit access to vital maternal, newborn, and child health services, thereby increasing risks for women and children.
Furthermore, the restrictions on girls’ and women’s education and employment are imposing an annual economic cost of $84 million on Afghanistan due to lost output. These financial losses are expected to escalate as women and girls continue to be barred from educational institutions and job opportunities.
UNICEF remains committed to supporting children’s education throughout Afghanistan. In 2025, over 3.7 million children in public schools received emergency assistance, and 442,000 children, 66 percent of whom are girls, benefited from community-based learning programs. The agency has also been instrumental in constructing or renovating 232 schools.
“Denying Afghan girls access to secondary education robs an entire nation of its potential – locking girls, their families and their communities into poverty, weakening health outcomes and silencing the economic engine that an educated generation of women could ignite,” Ms. Russell added.
