UN Expert Says Taliban’s Policies Are Robbing Afghan Children of Their Future

Five years have slipped by since the Taliban reclaimed Afghanistan, and the picture that emerges is far from hopeful. United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human‑rights situation in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has sounded an alarm that the regime’s “highly restrictive policies” are reshaping everyday life, leaving children and young people in a state of profound disadvantage.

“Afghan children are growing up in an environment where discrimination—particularly against girls and women—has become the new normal,” Bennett said in a recent press release. He pointed out that while security may have improved in some pockets, the gains are hollow if the next generation is denied the right to learn, to speak freely, or to take part in public life.

The most glaring scar, according to the UN expert, is the systematic denial of education beyond the sixth grade for girls. “That closure of doors may never be reopened,” he warned, noting the long‑term damage to mental health and to the country’s development. The situation is compounded by rising exposure of youngsters to gender‑based violence, forced and child marriages, child labour, and an ever‑tightening ideological indoctrination.

Beyond the classroom, the report highlights a chilling reality: children are being pressured to conform to a narrow, Taliban‑defined worldview, curtailing any chance for independent thought or creativity. This, Bennett argues, is not just a violation of rights today—it erodes the very capacity of Afghan youth to shape their own futures.

In the words of the UN special rapporteur, “These policies are not only violating children’s rights today – they are undermining their ability to determine their own futures.” The call to action is clear: the Taliban must end discriminatory practices, reopen schools for girls, and guarantee a safe, inclusive environment where every child can envision a hopeful tomorrow.