The Taliban have barred an estimated 2.4 million Afghan girls from secondary education since they regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said on Tuesday. Afghanistan is the only country where girls and women are formally banned from secondary and higher education, UNESCO said in its statement. UNESCO estimates the ban on female secondary and higher education could cause 600,000 Afghan women to leave the workforce by 2066, lead to $9.6 billion in cumulative income losses and increase the risk of early marriage. Despite those promises, secondary schools were closed for girls in March 2022, followed by a ban on women studying in universities in December 2022. The Taliban argue they respect women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.