The Fragile Progress and Renewed Challenges for Afghan Women and Education
Following the U.S.-led military intervention in Afghanistan in late 2001, which removed the Taliban from power, the country experienced a period of socioeconomic reform and rebuilding. A key development was the ratification of a new constitution in 2004, which substantially expanded the rights of women, granting them access to education, the right to vote, employment opportunities, participation in civic life, and the freedom to protest. This progress culminated in 2009 with women running for the country’s presidency for the first time.
However, four decades of continuous conflict had severely damaged Afghanistan’s infrastructure, including its educational system. Even prior to the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, Afghanistan faced a meaningful educational crisis. A UNICEF report revealed that over 4.2 million children where out of school, with girls comprising 60% of this number.
The report highlighted the ample economic consequences of denying education, particularly for girls. It estimated that failing to educate girls would cost Afghanistan at least $5.4 billion in potential economic contributions if the current cohort of 3 million girls were able to complete secondary education and enter the workforce. The analysis emphasized that girls’ education is crucial not only for individual empowerment – delaying marriage and childbearing, workforce participation, and self-determination – but also for long-term national productivity and economic recovery. Without fulfilling girls’ rights to secondary education, Afghanistan risks being unable to recover lost GDP and reach its full economic potential.
Since regaining control, the Taliban have implemented policies restricting women’s participation in public life. According to Amnesty International, most female government employees have been instructed to stay home, with limited exceptions in sectors like health and education. In the private sector, many women have been dismissed from leadership positions, with the Taliban seemingly allowing only those women irreplaceable by men to continue working. Women who have retained employment face significant challenges due to restrictions on their clothing and behavior, including limitations on interactions with male colleagues, such as female doctors being discouraged from treating male patients.
These developments echo the Taliban’s previous actions when they first took power. As activist Nazhand points out, the Taliban previously banned women’s access to education, resulting in a marginalized and underdeveloped society. She stresses the importance of resisting a return to that state and refusing to remain silent.
Adding to the challenges, security threats and acts of terrorism continue to plague Afghanistan, particularly impacting students. In late October, a suicide bombing at an educational center in west Kabul killed at least 54 students, including 54 young girls. This attack was the second deadly incident targeting education centers since the taliban takeover, underscoring the ongoing dangers faced by students and educators in the country.
