Torment of Afghan fathers as daughters deprived of education
A U.N. poll found 90% of Afghan men wanted girls to go to secondary school, with nearly two thirds considering it "pious" for fathers to support a daughter's education.
Afghan girls take their midterm exams at a primary school in Kabul on July 21. Fathers in Afghanistan choked up in despair describing the education ban that stops their daughters going beyond primary school. | AFP-JIJI
Aug 11, 2026
Kabul – Father after father in Afghanistan choked up in despair as they spoke about the education ban that stops their daughters going beyond primary school.
The pain and anguish it is causing behind closed doors is clear from interviews conducted across the country, with even deeply religious fathers questioning the ruling.
The Taliban authorities justify the ban — the only one of its kind in the world — on their interpretation of Islamic law.
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