UNICEF: Afghanistan Risks Losing 25,000 Female Teachers, Health Workers by 2030

The United Nations Children's Fund warned in a new report that Afghanistan could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if restrictions on girls' secondary education and women's employment persist, with at least one million girls already denied schooling since the ban took effect in 2021.

The analysis, titled "The Cost of Inaction on Girls' Education and Women's Labour Force Participation in Afghanistan," projects that up to 20,000 teachers and 5,400 health workers could exit the workforce. Female representation in civil services has already dropped from 21 percent in 2023 to 17.7 percent in 2025. In basic education, the number of female teachers fell by more than 9 percent, from nearly 73,000 in 2022 to about 66,000 in 2024. UNICEF estimates these restrictions cost the country roughly $84 million annually in lost economic output, equivalent to 0.5 percent of gross domestic product, with losses expected to compound over time.

The report highlights a dual crisis: the departure of experienced women as they retire or leave, combined with the exclusion of the next generation from training to replace them. If unchanged, the policies could affect more than...