UNICEF Says 2.6 Million Afghan Girls Have Been Denied Secondary Education

Afghanistan, Sept. 17 -- More than 2.6 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education during the five years since the Taliban returned to power, UNICEF said on Thursday, warning that the continuing ban is putting the country's future at risk.

In a statement marking five years of Taliban rule, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are prohibited from attending secondary school and university. The agency urged the Taliban to immediately lift restrictions preventing girls from returning to classrooms.

UNICEF said the exclusion of millions of girls from education is not only a violation of their fundamental rights but also a crisis ...