Afghanistan, Oct. 11 -- International Day of the Girl Child is being marked on October 11 as millions of girls in Afghanistan remain excluded from secondary education under Taliban rule, while concerns over child marriage and other risks facing girls continue.
UNESCO estimates that 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are currently barred from secondary education. UNICEF reported in August that more than 2.6 million girls have been denied access to secondary schooling since the Taliban authorities returned to power in 2021. Afghanistan remains the only country where girls and women are effectively barred from secondary and higher education.
The restrictions have also heightened concerns about child marriage, as girls kept out of school face i...