As pointed out by UNESCO, about 2.4 million Afghan girls have been denied access to secondary education because of the Taliban regime; this figure has increased by 200,000 compared to the previous year and may hit four million mark by 2030. As the only country in the world to deny girls and women the right to attend schools and universities, Afghanistan is under “gender apartheid,” worsened by the ban on female teachers teaching boys which has resulted in a drastic lack of qualified educators and low educational standards. With poor facilities—more than 50% of all the schools lack even such basic amenities like running water, sanitation, or heating—and over two million students failing to complete primary education, the illiteracy rate has fallen to 37%, and yet, the Taliban government continues to ignore international efforts to give the right to female education, considering it an internal affair.