Afghan girls remain largely excluded from school five years after Taliban takeover

Five years after Taliban leaders took control of Afghanistan, most female students are still barred from in-person schooling. The regime announced in August 2021 that schools were not ready for girls, a claim that has persisted for more than 1,800 days. When officials are asked about the situation, they continue to state that now is not the time for female education.

Natalie Gonnella-Platts, director of Global Policy at the George W. Bush Institute, describes the current administration as a continuation of the Taliban’s 1990s blueprint rather than a new era of tolerance. She argues that subjugating women and denying education are core strategies for the group’s pursuit of power. Historians and Islamic scholars cited by Gonnella-Platts disagree with the Taliban’s claim that inclusive education violates Afghan culture or Islamic teachings.

The exclusion of girls from schools occurs while Afghanistan faces widespread food insecurity and preventable illnesses. Gonnella-Platts notes that female education has historically been a key driver of stability and development in the country. Between 2001 and 2021, access to learning helped improve livelihoods and public health outcomes for both male and female students.

The Taliban are using the pause in general education to expand their ideological influence through religious schools. Madrassas aligned with the regime’s interpretation of faith have replaced many secular institutions. Gonnella-Platts reports that these schools often feature unqualified teachers, corporal punishment, and curricula that emphasize propaganda and anti-Western sentiment. This shift has allowed the group to indoctrinate young Afghans for five years with limited external interference.

International diplomats and private sector officials have engaged with the Taliban despite the group’s nonrecognition status by the global community. In August 2026, officials from various nations joined Taliban diplomats to mark the fifth anniversary of the international withdrawal from the country. These interactions cover trade, transportation, defense, and agriculture, even as Afghan women remain excluded from many public sectors.

Gonnella-Platts argues that the lack of consequences for the Taliban’s behavior has allowed them to become more brutal. She calls for stricter enforcement of targeted sanctions against officials, including Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, who is not currently subject to such measures. She suggests that the Global Magnitsky Act and section 311 of the USA Patriot Act should be used more frequently to pressure those responsible for gender apartheid and money laundering.

The author recommends that the United States and other nations designate the Taliban as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. She states that support for girls' education is a matter of smart security policy, as it directly challenges the group's goals of ideological expansion. Ground-level organizations are currently filling the educational void through underground or virtual classrooms, but Gonnella-Platts believes they cannot succeed without greater international support.

The global community is engaging with the Taliban on multiple fronts while female students remain excluded from formal learning. Gonnella-Platts asserts that the convenience of the Taliban regarding education should not dictate the priorities of the international community.