KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Malala Fund, led by education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, has allocated $3.26 million to support Afghan girls’ education and advance long-term justice for women and girls in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the fund said the money will address urgent educational needs while amplifying the voices and resistance of Afghan girls, who have faced severe restrictions on their right to learn since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The funding will provide both online and in-person education for 10,000 girls across Afghanistan. It will also support legal and political initiatives aimed at recognizing gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law.
“We are backing Afghan girls and women who refuse to be erased — who are leading the global fight to end gender apartheid through classrooms, courtrooms, and coalitions,” said Sahar Halaimzai, Senior Director of Malala Fund’s Afghanistan Initiative. “Our partners are building power in the face of unimaginable repression. This is a movement for liberation, and we are standing with it every step of the way.”
The announcement is part of Malala Fund’s new five-year strategy to distribute $50 million in grants globally to secure rights and resources for girls’ education
“The Afghanistan grants reflect the organization’s focus on confronting the world’s most egregious violations of the right to education and supporting frontline organizations protecting girls’ access to learning in crisis situations,” the fund said.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary education. The Taliban have also barred women from attending universities and restricted them from most jobs, including critical roles in healthcare and humanitarian aid.
According to the UN, about 80% of school-age girls, totaling over 2.5 million, and more than 100,000 female university students are prohibited from receiving education.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Malala Yousafzai has consistently spoken out against their policies, describing the systematic restrictions on women and girls as “gender apartheid.” Over the years, she has called for international recognition of these oppressive measures and has urged global leaders to hold the Taliban accountable.
