UNICEF Warns Taliban Could Lose Up to 25,000 Female Health Workers and Teachers

Taliban Bans Women from Most Public Sector Jobs

The Taliban has imposed restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment. These include limiting girls to receiving an education only until age 12 and banning women from most public sector jobs.

UNICEF Warns of Potential Loss of Female Teachers and Health Workers

According to a new UNICEF report, Afghanistan risks losing more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if these restrictions are not lifted. The report estimates that this figure is about 25% of the country’s workforce in 2021.

Economic Impact Expected to be Significant

The loss of qualified women from teaching and healthcare sectors could have an annual economic impact of at least AFN 5.3 billion ($84 million), equivalent to about 0.5% of Afghanistan’s GDP, according to UNICEF.

UNICEF Calls for Taliban to Lift Restrictions on Women

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has called on the Taliban to lift the ban imposed after it returned to political power in 2021. The organization emphasizes that losing future teachers, nurses, doctors, midwives, and social workers would be detrimental to essential services in Afghanistan.