Depriving girls of secondary education cost Afghan economy $500M in 1 year: UNICEF

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Depriving girls of secondary education caused a loss of at least $500 million to the Afghan economy in last 12 months, according to a new analysis by the UN's children fund on Monday.

UNICEF said keeping girls out of secondary school costs Afghanistan 2.5% of its annual GDP.

"If the current cohort of three million girls were able to complete their secondary education and participate in the job market, girls and women would contribute at least $5.4 billion to Afghanistan’s economy," it said, as the Taliban marked a year in power.

The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021, weeks before foreign forces were to complete their troop withdrawal after a two-decade war.

In March, the interim government decided not to allow girls back to secondary school, citing a lack of female teachers, a move UNICEF called "shocking and disappointing."

"Not only does it violate girls’ fundamental right to education, it exposes them to heightened anxiety, and greater risk of exploitation and abuse, including child trafficking, early and forced marriage,” said Mohamed Ayoya, UNICEF's Afghanistan representative.

“Now, this new analysis clearly articulates the terrible economic impact of this decision on the country’s GDP,” Ayoya added.

Even before the Taliban setup, over 4.2 million Afghan children were out of schools, 60% of whom were girls, according to the UN.

“UNICEF wants to see every girl and boy across Afghanistan in school and learning,” said Ayoya. “We will not stop advocating until that goal is achieved. Not only is education a right for every child, it is the foundation for future growth in Afghanistan.”