Girl Children’s Right to Education: A Case study of Afghanistan

Afghanistan remains one of the only countries in the world where girls above the age of six are deprived of their right to education. This ban has excluded over 2.5 million Afghan girls from school, denying them equality, freedom of choice, and the chance for a better future.

The International Children’s Peace Prize 2024 winner, Nila Ibrahimi, has been at the forefront of this struggle. When Kabul’s Education Directorate prohibited schoolgirls from singing in public, Nila’s protest song went viral and sparked global attention—ultimately overturning the ban. Her activism continues to shine a light on the systemic discrimination Afghan girls face.

This report examines the inadequacy of current international human rights frameworks in protecting girl-children’s access to education. Using Afghanistan as a case study, it highlights how the intersection of gender and age exposes girls to unique vulnerabilities and calls for stronger accountability and action against gender apartheid.

Read our report ‘Girl-children’s Right to Education: A Case Study of Afghanistan’ to learn more.