Women | At UNESCO's Executive Board, the European Union said the rights situation of Afghan women and girls worsened further in 2026

ACW | October 20, 2026 — The European Union called for the "unconditional reversal" of Taliban restrictions on Afghan women and girls at the 225th session of UNESCO's Executive Board, Amu TV reported on Tuesday.

According to Amu TV, the EU statement said: "The European Union remains alarmed by the further deterioration of the rights situation for women and girls in 2026." It added: "We call for the unconditional reversal of these discriminatory policies."

According to DID Press Agency, the EU said it "strongly condemns human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan." The EU said the ban on girls' education beyond grade six affects more than 2.2 million girls.

The EU said UNESCO's alternative learning programmes cannot replace formal education. According to Amu TV, it cited a 4.7 million euro partnership with UNESCO launched in 2025.

According to DID Press, the EU pledged continued support for independent media, civil society and human rights defenders. It also raised concerns about illegal excavations, trafficking of cultural objects and the safety of cultural workers, especially women.

The exact date the statement was delivered is not clear from the reports. The Taliban have not yet responded to the statement.

Background: According to JURIST, the International Criminal Court on Monday, October 5, unsealed four arrest warrants for Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and three other senior Taliban officials. The court said there were reasonable grounds to believe they are responsible for the persecution of women and girls as a crime against humanity.

Why it matters: According to the EU, Afghanistan is the only country that bars girls from public education beyond grade six. The statement, two weeks after the ICC warrants were made public, shows continuing international pressure on the Taliban over the rights of women and girls.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Amu TV — EU calls for unconditional reversal of Taliban restrictions on women, girls; DID Press Agency — EU condemns restrictions on Afghan girls' education; JURIST — ICC unseals warrants of senior Taliban officials

Photo: UNESCO headquarters, Paris — Matthias Ripp / IYA2009 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)