The extensive and enduring humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has varying effects on individuals across genders and at-risk and marginalised groups. However, women and girls face a disproportionate impact due to specific gender-related limitations that directly hinder their ability to exercise their rights.
Based on data from the Asian Development Bank, the literacy rate among female adults in Afghanistan is a mere 29.8%. In comparison to an average literacy rate of 52% for men, the literacy rates for women in Afghanistan have shown improvement by more than doubling over the past two decades. However, even with this progress, female literacy rates in the country continue to rank among the lowest globally.
When compared to neighbouring countries, the literacy rates stand as follows:
- Uzbekistan: 100%
- Tajikistan: 99.7%
- Turkmenistan: 99.6%
- China: 95.2%
- Pakistan: 46.5%
Unfortunately, there is no available data from the Asian Development Bank for Iran, as it did not participate in the survey. However, according to estimates by the World Bank in 2021, the female literacy rate in Iran was estimated at 85%.
Global literacy rates show that Afghanistan is among the countries with the lowest literacy percentage (197th out of 204).
An official statement from the Ministry of Higher Education under the Taliban regime has declared that starting in December 2022, girls in Afghanistan will be prohibited from enrolling in universities. Following the Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan, their restrictive measures extended beyond university access, resulting in the deprivation of women's fundamental human rights. As a consequence, women across Afghanistan currently endure mental oppression and aspire for a more optimistic future.
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