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illuminem summarises for you the essential story of the day. Read the full piece on UN News or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Afghanistan marks four years since the ban on secondary education for girls, imposed by the Taliban after their return to power in 2021
• Over 2.2 million girls are barred from attending school beyond primary level, according to UN data
• Despite widespread public support for girls’ education, the de facto authorities continue to enforce the restriction, leaving millions of children — especially girls — without access to learning
• Fatima Amiri, an education advocate and survivor of a 2022 school bombing in Kabul, urges the world to move beyond words and take action
🔭 The context: Education has been at the center of rights rollbacks under Taliban rule, alongside restrictions on women’s mobility, work, and public participation
• In 2022, Amiri lost an eye and ear in a classroom suicide attack, but she continued her studies and now advocates globally for Afghan girls
• UN agencies, including Education Cannot Wait (ECW), have repeatedly condemned the ban and called on the international community to unite in defense of Afghan girls’ right to education
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Denying education to millions of girls not only violates basic human rights but also deepens Afghanistan’s long-term humanitarian and development crisis
• Lack of education perpetuates poverty, inequality, and instability, undermining prospects for peace and recovery
• Girls continue to study “in secret, in the dark,” relying on scarce online opportunities, home study, and underground networks — a testament to their resilience
⏭️ What’s next: Calls are mounting for the international community to provide scholarships, online learning access, and safe education alternatives for Afghan girls
• Amiri and other activists stress that global leaders must shift from statements to concrete action
• The issue is expected to remain a major point of advocacy at the UN Human Rights Council and ahead of global education and human rights forums
💬 One quote: “They are crying, they are sending me many messages and saying that we want the right [to] education. They are in a very bad situation… the only thing they had was education, but right now they do not have it.” – Fatima Amiri
📈 One stat: More than 2.2 million Afghan girls are currently banned from attending secondary school — part of nearly 7 million children out of classrooms nationwide
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