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Afghans overwhelmingly support girls’ education despite ongoing ban: UN Women
Despite the Islamic Emirate’s continuing ban on secondary education for girls, the vast majority of Afghans across all demographics believe girls should have the right to learn, according to a new report by UN Women.
The latest Gender Alert, released this week, draws on a nationwide door-to-door survey of over 2,000 people and reveals that 92 percent of respondents consider girls’ education important. Support was consistent across urban and rural areas. In cities, 95 percent of both men and women expressed support, while in rural areas, 95 percent of women and 87 percent of men did the same.
“This is almost always the first thing girls tell us – they are desperate to learn and just want the chance to gain an education,” said Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan. “Families also say they want their daughters to have that dream. They know that literacy and learning can change the trajectory of a girl’s life, in a country where half the population is living in poverty.”
The report also highlights the broader social and economic impact of increasing restrictions on women’s rights since the Islamic Emirate regained control in 2021. In areas where the ban on women working with NGOs is being enforced, a separate UN Women survey from July and August 2025 found that 97 percent of women said the restrictions have negatively affected their daily lives. Over half of NGOs operating in Afghanistan now report being unable to effectively reach women and girls with essential services.
Based on the report, 40 percent of Afghan women surveyed said they still envision a future where change and gender equality are possible. However, nearly three-quarters of women rated their mental health as “bad” or “very bad.”
Women also reported significant lack of agency in decision-making. Seventy-five percent said they have no influence in their communities, half felt excluded from decisions in their extended families, and one in four said they had no influence even within their own households.
The Islamic Emirate has previously said that the issue of girls’ education is an internal issue in Afghanistan and efforts are being made to resolve it.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that security risks in Central Asia and developments in Afghanistan are among the primary concerns for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The CSTO is a regional military alliance that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Speaking in Moscow during a meeting with CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov, Lavrov described the region’s security challenges as “central” to the organization’s agenda.
“The problems that are currently among the central ones for the CSTO are new challenges and threats. I am referring to the situation in the Central Asian region of collective security, as well as everything related to what is happening in Afghanistan,” he said.
He praised Masadykov as “one of the leading experts” on Central Asian security, noting that his experience could enhance coordination and increase the effectiveness of allied actions.
Similar to NATO, the CSTO considers an attack on one member state as an attack on all.
Countries in the region have always expressed concern about security threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed these concerns and assured that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against another country.
The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan has announced that the leader of the Islamic Emirate has approved the establishment of a faculty dedicated to “Prophetic Medicine.”
According to the ministry, this new faculty will play a vital role in advancing medical sciences and training skilled healthcare professionals across the country.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, has announced that the long-delayed demarcation and renovation of border markers along the Afghanistan–Iran frontier will officially begin in the near future.
According to a statement from the ministry, Noori made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Ali-Reza Bikdeli.
He assured the Iranian side that the Islamic Emirate is fully committed to accelerating the process and resolving any challenges that may arise during implementation.
In a separate statement, the Iranian Embassy in Kabul said Bikdeli underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation on border issues, describing it as a key factor in strengthening and expanding overall relations between the two countries.
Officials from both sides agreed nearly three months ago to resume the border-marker renovation project, which had remained stalled for the past seven years.
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