Teenage Afghan girls were banned from school - now these classes are their only option

Amina will never forget the moment her childhood changed. She was just 12 years old when she was told she could no longer go to school like boys.

The new school year began on Saturday in Afghanistan but for the fourth consecutive year, girls over 12 were barred from attending classes.

"All my dreams were shattered," she says, her voice fragile and filled with emotion.

Amina, now 15, has always wanted to become a doctor. As a little girl, she suffered from a heart defect and underwent surgery. The surgeon who saved her life was a woman – an image that stayed with her and inspired her to take her studies seriously.

But in 2021, when the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, Amina's dream was abruptly put on hold.

"When my dad told me the schools were closed, I was really sad. It was a very bad feeling," she says quietly. "I wanted to get an education so that I could become a doctor."

The restrictions on education for teenage girls, imposed by the Taliban, has affected more than one million girls, according to Unicef, the UN's children's agency.

Now, madrassas – religious centres focused on Islamic teachings – have become the only way for many women and teenage girls to access education. However, those whose families can afford private tuition may still have access to subjects including maths, science and languages.

While the madrassas are seen by some as a way to offer young women access to some of the education they would have had in mainstream schools, others say they are no substitute and there are concerns of brainwashing.

I meet Amina in the dimly-lit basement of Al-Hadith madrassa in Kabul, a newly established private religious educational centre for around 280 female students of various ages.

The basement is cold, with cardboard walls and a sharp chill in the air. After chatting for about 10 minutes, our toes are already going numb.

Al-Hadith madrassa was founded a year ago by Amina's brother, Hamid, who felt compelled to act after seeing the toll that the education ban had taken on her.

"When girls were denied education, my sister's dream of becoming a heart surgeon was crushed, significantly affecting her wellbeing", says Hamid, who is in his early thirties.

"Having the chance to go back to school, as well as learning midwifery and first aid, made her feel much better about her future," he adds

Afghanistan remains the only country where women and girls are banned from secondary and higher education.

The Taliban government originally suggested the prohibition would be temporary, pending the fulfilment of certain conditions, such as an "Islamic" curriculum. However, there has been no progress towards reopening schools for older girls in the years since.

In January 2025, a report by the Afghanistan Centre for Human Rights suggested that madrassas are being used to further the Taliban's ideological goals.

The report alleges that "extremist content" has been integrated into their curriculum.

It says that textbooks advocated by the Taliban promote its political and military activities, and prohibited the mixing of men and women, as well as endorsing the enforced wearing of the hijab.