Herat Girls Report Loss of Hope After Five Years Barred From Secondary Schools

Female students in Herat say five years without access to secondary education have eliminated their prospects for careers or further study inside Afghanistan.

Those affected describe being forced into early marriages during the period of closure. They also report a sharp rise in interest among young people in leaving the country.

The United Nations, women's rights activists, civil institutions and families have issued repeated calls for the immediate reopening of girls' secondary schools.

Students interviewed in the province stated that the prolonged absence from classrooms has destroyed their previous expectations of a better future. Several noted that the lack of educational opportunities has directly contributed to decisions by families to arrange marriages for girls who would otherwise have remained in school.

Youth in the area have increasingly discussed migration as an alternative path, according to the accounts gathered from affected students. The pattern of school closures affecting secondary-level girls has persisted without change for the full five-year span.

Domestic and international appeals for resumption of classes have continued without producing a reversal of the policy. The students' statements reflect a shared view that the extended interruption has created lasting barriers to personal advancement.