Taliban restrictions on women’s education and employment cause economic strain in Afghanistan

Taliban restrictions on women’s education and employment in Afghanistan have led to significant economic and social challenges since their takeover in 2021. The ban on girls’ secondary education has affected over 1 million students, while the prohibition of university and professional education for women has been labeled as un-Islamic by the Taliban government.

According to UNICEF, the ban on girls’ education has resulted in an economic loss of over $500 million for Afghanistan in the past year. Afghan media reports that thousands of female teachers have become unemployed, with over 14,000 government teaching positions eliminated. These teachers are now limited to working only in primary schools.