After seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban closed secondary schools to girls above the sixth grade and shut the doors of universities to female students. Following this decision, many institutions and women launched online classes to enable girls to continue their education. However, some girls who have been deprived of schooling say that due to a lack of access to smartphones and the internet, they are unable to participate in these classes and continue their studies. They add that under the country’s current conditions, the cost of internet packages is high, and their families cannot afford to pay the monthly fees. According to them, even some educational programs broadcast on television are not usable because of the lack of regular electricity.
These girls also say they live in large families and that there is only one basic phone in the household, which is in the possession of the head of the family. Some of these girls and their families, in interviews with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, have called for the reopening of schools to girls. They add that the continued deprivation of education poses a serious threat to girls’ futures.
Families living in remote areas of Afghanistan also say there is no internet coverage in their regions to allow participation in online classes. According to them, many girls are not even familiar with how to use online platforms, and there is no one to guide them in this regard.
These girls and their families emphasize that if in-person and online education cannot be provided, at the very least, the educational programs should be conducted via radio so that girls can access learning through that means.
Khoshbu Yousufi, one of the girls who had studied for years with the hope of continuing higher education and contributing to the country’s development, says she now spends most of her days standing by the washbasin doing dishes. According to her, the work has become very repetitive, and she feels confined within the four walls of her home. She says that after being deprived of education, she feels “empty and insignificant.”
Khoshbu adds that although online classes are currently the only remaining option for her to continue her education, her family’s economic situation has prevented her from participating in these courses.
She says: “My father has a small shop and our economic situation is not good. Online classes require a lot of internet access, and covering this cost is difficult for us. I was in the tenth grade when I was forced to leave school. The lack of internet and digital devices has created serious problems and disrupted my studies.”
Khoshbu is calling for educational programs to be held via radio so that she can continue her education through that channel. Her father, who sits in a corner of the house, worried about his daughter’s situation, is distressed by the restrictions the Taliban have imposed on her. He urges the Taliban to reopen the doors of educational institutions to girls.
Khoshbu’s father says, “We tried to ensure that my daughter could participate in online classes, but internet problems and economic conditions have made the process very difficult. The fact that my daughter has fallen behind in her studies has deeply worried us, and we fear she may not have a bright future.”
Khalida, another girl in Balkh who has been deprived of education, says that not only she but many girls around her do not have access to a phone and cannot join online classes. She adds that poverty, unemployment, the high cost of internet, and the limited effectiveness of online classes have hindered girls from continuing their education.
Khalida says, “There are many girls around us who have been left out of school. Many of them, due to their young age or the lack of a phone at home, stay at home and do household chores. The absence of phones and the internet has dealt a major blow to our education. These classes cannot fully replace school, but at least they offer us some comfort.”
Hedayat, a resident of Baghlan, says that in their areas, girls are not allowed to use phones due to prevailing cultural norms, and this has prevented them from participating in online classes. He adds that he hopes schools will first reopen and that families will recognize the importance of educating their daughters and provide the necessary facilities.
Hedayat says: “In our province, many girls cannot use phones because, according to tradition, the men in the family do not permit them to do so. This has prevented them from taking part in online educational classes.”
Previously, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that by the end of 2025, more than 2.2 million teenage girls in Afghanistan will be deprived of education. The organization warned that the large-scale return of Afghanistan migrants from neighboring countries could further increase this number. UNICEF described the ban as a serious threat to the country’s stability and progress and called for the immediate reversal of the policy.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, has also stated that 1,604 days have passed since schools for girls above the sixth grade were closed. UNAMA emphasized the need for the immediate lifting of the ban and warned that years of lost opportunities will have a direct and long-term impact on the future of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is currently the only country where girls are deprived of the right to education and work due to the Taliban’s gender segregation policies. Many institutions and international organizations have described this policy as “gender apartheid.”
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
هزینههای بالای انترنت و کمبود تجهیزات؛ دختران از آموزش آنلاین هم محروم ماندهاند
