UNESCO continues its support in offering alternative education to women and girls in Afghanistan.
But whatever complaints we have, it’s likely none are as insurmountable as the situation of girls and young women in Afghanistan whose education is halted by the Taliban after primary school. Secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden, and it’s estimated that over 2 million girls and young women fall into this group. Primary education has also taken a backward step, with enrolment dropping sharply in 2022, just one year after the Taliban came to power.
Dismantling educational progress
For twenty years (2001-2021), UNESCO led international efforts to improve education for girls in Afghanistan. During this time, participation rose from almost zero to more than 80 per cent, with female literacy doubling to almost 30 per cent.
Finding new ways to educate
Despite the Taliban’s decree, UNESCO hasn’t given up. It has launched an “Afghanistan Education Sector Support Plan (AESSP) 2024–25” that offers alternative learning pathways.
These include community-based literacy courses, which are currently being delivered in over 2,600 villages by more than 1,000 trained facilitators. UNESCO says these are reaching 57,000 young people, mostly girls.
UNESCO is also providing financial and training support to initiatives such as Radio Begum, Begum TV and SOLAx (a WhatsApp-accessible online academy), which reach around 17 million Afghans in total.
The Tabasum programme is particularly important. This delivers media-based education alongside mental-health support, which is critical when women and girls’ lives are so constrained.
The future
UNESCO remains committed to improving education for Afghan women and girls and its creative thinking around its support and provision demonstrates this, providing critical educational lifelines and knowledge about the outside world.
