Amnesty International says five years have passed since millions of girls in Afghanistan were deprived of secondary education, warning that the continued restrictions are affecting the future and aspirations of an entire generation.

The organization’s South Asia regional office said Thursday, September 17, on X that five years without access to education represent five years of injustice and lost opportunities for Afghan girls.

Despite the restrictions, Amnesty said girls across Afghanistan continue to seek ways to pursue their education, including through online learning, protests and, for some, migrating abroad to continue their studies.

Amnesty International has called on the international community to stand with Afghan women and girls and urge the Islamic Emirate to reopen girls’ secondary schools as soon as possible.

Five years on, millions of Afghan girls remain out of secondary school and unable to return to their classrooms.

The Islamic Emirate, however, has described girls’ education above the sixth grade as an internal matter and said efforts are underway to address the issue.