resources

Research and analysis from around the world.

For more information on girls' education in Afghanistan, the stark impact of the Taliban’s return, and the importance of educating girls worldwide, follow the links below.

1. UN Women — “Afghanistan Gender Country Profile 2024.”

A snapshot of the status of women living in Afghanistan. To quote from the report: “Women’s rights are the thread that runs through all key crises facing Afghanistan today.” Access a downloadable PDF of the full report here.

2. Human Rights Watch – “‘I Won't Be a Doctor, and One Day You'll Be Sick’: Girls' Access to Education in Afghanistan.”

A landmark survey of the pre-2021 education landscape in Afghanistan; quite simply essential reading. Read the full report here.

3. Afghan Analysts Network — “The Ban on Older Girls’ Education” and “Women Across Afghanistan Navigate the Taliban’s Hijab Ruling.”

Two reports, from March 2022 and June 2022 respectively, delivering on-the-ground reporting from within Afghanistan as women and girls began facing stark new restrictions on their freedoms. Read the first report here, and read the second report here.

4. The World Bank – "Unrealized Potential: The High Cost of Gender Inequality in Earnings."

A 2018 study that measures the global economic costs of gender inequality. Read the full report here.

5. The Asia Foundation – "Afghanistan in 2021: A Survey of the Afghan People."

This most recent edition of The Asia Foundation’s now-disrupted annual survey offers an unparalleled look at public opinion across Afghanistan in the year of the Taliban’s return. The data collected here were gathered during the summer of 2021, with collection completed only weeks before the fall of Kabul. Among other key findings: nearly 40% of respondents cited “lack of educational opportunities” as the chief problem facing Afghan women. Access a downloadable PDF of the full report here.