In a nationwide, door-to-door survey of more than 2,000 Afghans, 92 per cent said it was “important” for girls to continue their schooling, with support cutting across rural and urban communities.
Among rural populations, 87 per cent of men and 95 per cent of women supported girls’ schooling, while in urban areas the figure was 95 per cent for both men and women.
“This is almost always the first thing girls tell us – they are desperate to learn and just want the chance to gain an education,” said UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan, Susan Ferguson.
“Families also say they want their daughters to have that dream. They know that literacy and learning can change the trajectory of a girl’s life, in a country where half the population is living in poverty.”
In areas where the Taliban ban on women working for NGOs is reportedly enforced, in a separate UN Women telesurvey from July and August 2025, 97 per cent of women surveyed reported that the ban has had a negative impact on their day-to-day lives.
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