In many parts of the world, there has been incredible progress in girls’ rights and gender equality, where they feel empowered to reach their full potential. Yet, the opposite is true for girls in Afghanistan, where their rights are being stripped away.
Girls in Afghanistan are facing significant challenges in their daily lives, with restrictions on their education, movement, employment, and access to public services and places. Even their voices are being silenced. These limitations are not only deepening existing gender inequalities but also heightening protection concerns – creating a cycle of growing needs that will affect women and girls for generations to come.
Here are some of their stories, their voices.
An uncertain future

When the ban on girls attending secondary school was enforced, 17-year-old Bibi Gul*, was in the eighth grade. Now, three years on, engaged to an older man, Bibi Gul no longer dreams of the future.
“I recently got engaged, and the worst part is that my parents didn’t even force me to do it; I just lost hope and didn’t think I will get a chance to make my dreams come true. I agreed to the marriage proposal even though my fiancé is quite older than me. I wouldn’t have agreed to get married if I could go to school,” she explains. “I changed a lot in the past three years, I suddenly felt like an old person, as if my childhood had ended.”
"Education doesn’t just provide opportunities. It protects girls from early marriage, malnutrition and other health problems, and bolsters their resilience to disasters like the floods, drought, and earthquakes that frequently plague Afghanistan."
* Name was changed to protect her privacy.
Breaking down barriers

Across Afghanistan, half of schools lack sanitation facilities, two-thirds are without handwashing facilities, and most do not have separate bathrooms for girls or facilities for menstrual hygiene care. These combined barriers prevent many girls from attending school, limiting their already scarce educational opportunities.
UNICEF is working to change that by providing schools with better access to safe water and sanitation facilities, helping children like 10-year-old Bibi attend school so that she can one day live her dream of becoming a doctor.
“Before installing water taps in our school, we didn’t have clean water. When we got thirsty, there was no water, so we had to wait and drink water at home. Now we are very happy. We have clean water, we can drink water whenever we get thirsty, and also we can use the latrine, and we don’t have any problem now,” explains Bibi.
Hope when natural disaster strikes

Prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts and flooding, families in Afghanistan often have to rebuild their homes and livelihoods. In May 2024, flash floods ravaged northeastern Afghanistan, reportedly killing and injuring hundreds of people, including children. The heavy rains and floods destroyed homes and farmland, washed away livestock and damaged schools and health centres.
UNICEF is helping children and their families, like 10-year-old Rana, by distributing emergency cash assistance to help provide for their basic needs after the emergency.
"The flood has brought loss to my family because we have lost all our possessions," says Rana. "I also lost my favourite books, notebooks, and my toys. Some of my friends did not survive."
Determined to learn against all odds

Maryam* writes on the whiteboard in front of her classmates at a UNICEF-supported accelerated learning centre (ALC), while her teacher assists her. Before UNICEF opened the centre, Maryam could not access education.
“I could not continue my lessons in the public schools due to insecurity and the long distance of the public school from my home. However, this class is a second chance for me not to give up on my dreams," she says.
Since September 2021, over 1.4 million girls have been denied their right to education beyond the sixth grade. Tragically, girls have remained home while their brothers and young sisters attend school.
*Note: Names, age and exact location have been changed or omitted to protect identity of adolescent girls enrolled in education in Afghanistan.
Resilience in the face of adversity

At a UNICEF-supported tailoring class, 21-year-old Nilofar works on a garment, a skill she is learning to help support her family.
"Tailoring is more than a skill; it’s the thread that binds my family’s hope," says Nilofar.
Nilofar has three brothers, a sister, and her mother, who once served as a policewoman but is now confined to her home with no income. Nilofar helps support them with the money she earns from tailoring.
"My brother earns a 150 AFN daily (approximately AUD$3.30), but I am determined to weave a tapestry of self-reliance and support for us all,” she says.
Hope for a brighter tomorrow

At 17 years old, a young mum sits with her four-month-old baby girl. She was 14 when the ban on secondary education for girls came into place, altering the course of her life.
“After the closing of schools, I was told now I must get married because I have nothing else to do. When I heard these words as a child, my spirit was wounded, and my heart broke. I felt terrible, unsure if anyone could understand or comprehend my state. My childhood came to an end.”
The young mother continues, “A few years after marriage, I fell ill, and my husband migrated, leaving me alone. Solitude and financial hardship made life unbearable. I haven't forgotten my dreams; I read books and write my life story, and I still have the dream of education for my daughter. So, she can become a journalist instead of me.”
Courage to begin again

At 11 years old, Zainab had never been to school and could not read or write her own name. She worked on the streets, polishing shoes as she watched girls and boys her age walk past her shoeshine box on their way to and from school.
UNICEF works with local partners to support vulnerable children like Zainab by helping them access education while providing counselling services to help with them transition from street life to the classroom.
As Zainab looks to the future with hope, she dreams of a better life for her little sister Kinja.
"I don’t want her to end up on the street like me. I want to finish school and become a teacher so that I can help my family."
These stories highlight the resilience and strength of Afghan girls in the face of immense challenges. Despite the severe restrictions and hardships, their determination to pursue education, support their families, and dream of a better future remains unbroken.
UNICEF is continuing to protect the rights and wellbeing of girls and women in Afghanistan. Since 1949, we have been providing access to education, health, nutrition, protection, water, sanitation, and hygiene to those most in need, and we will keep delivering for every girl. No matter what.

Children in Afghanistan
UNICEF will remain on the ground in Afghanistan supporting vulnerable children and their families. We can't do this without you.
Related articles
Stay up-to-date on UNICEF's work in Australia and around the world