60% of girls, 40% of boys not receiving education in Afghanistan: UNICEF

At least 60 per cent girls and 46 per cent boys of primary school age are not receiving any level of education in Afghanistan. This data was released by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in a report, according to Afghanistani news outlets.

The situation in Afghanistan has worsened after the Taliban issued a decree which says "no education for women". Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have banned university education for women nationwide which has provoked condemnation from across the world including the United Nations.

While banning women’s education, Taliban’s Minister for Higher Education Neda Mohammad Nadeem had in December 2022 in a letter issued to all government and private universities said, “You all are informed to immediately implement the mentioned order of suspending the education of females until further notice."

Japan funds education in Afghanistan 

In spite of such harsh rules, Japan has provided USD 10 million to support the "continuity of children's learning amidst a learning crisis in Afghanistan”, as per UNICEF's statement.  

Around 71,500 children are expected to continue their education with this contribution, reported a local news media outlet. While sharing the details of the funding by Japan, UNICEF said that the contribution would allow UNICEF to improve learning environments for 55,000 children in public hub schools by developing and rehabilitating classrooms or building handwashing facilities and toilets, based on the needs of specific schools.

Other benefits from Japan's funding In Afghanistan: 

• It would ensure that 16,500 children can continue their education for another two years at the community level. 
• It would provide in-service training for 990 female and male teachers, school heads and academic supervisors in public schools. 

Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Takashi Okada met with Taliban leader Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and highlighted the international efforts to assist the people of Afghanistan.

Taking to Twitter, the Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan wrote, "Amb. Okada met with Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and explained the int'l efforts to assist the people of AFG. He underlined the importance of better governance, including girls' education and employment for women, and of mutual confidence building between AFG and int'l community."

One of Afghanistan's political analysts, Janat Fahim Chakari stressed the need for a solution so that the international community makes efforts in the education sector which can lead to "beneficial results," reported TOLO News. Some of the girls in Afghanistan have asked the Taliban to allow them to pursue education. One of the students is Hussna Rahimi who said, "Let the girls who are at home today and cannot go to school, return to their schools."

"Let's not take away the rights of reading and writing of females because they are girls or women. There is no right to deprive them of their education," stated another student, Zainab Shirzad. 

The Taliban have also banned beauty salons for women too.