Today, October 11, marks the International Day of the Girl, a day dedicated to promoting girls’ rights around the world. However, in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, millions of girls are deprived of their fundamental rights, particularly the right to education.
More than 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are barred from secondary education, with schools and universities remaining closed to them.
As restrictions on girls’ rights continue to intensify, concerns about child marriage in Afghanistan also persist.
In a 2021 report, the United Nations said that approximately 30 percent of girls in Afghanistan marry before the age of 18.
Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, also said in a report released on the eve of the International Day of the Girl that more than 12 million girls worldwide marry before turning 18 each year.
She called on governments, international organizations and civil society to work toward ending child marriage around the world.
This year, the International Day of the Girl is being observed with a focus on ending child marriage, highlighting the importance of protecting girls’ rights and ensuring they have access to education and opportunities to grow and develop.
