Image of Afghan Girl studying wins UNICEF Photo of the Year 2025
Each year, UNICEF Germany bestows the title “UNICEF Photo of the Year” to photos and photo series from professional photojournalists which best depict the personality and living conditions of children worldwide in an outstanding manner.
The UNICEF Photo of the Year 2025 is by the French photojournalist Elise Blanchard. It shows a girl studying in Afghanistan, where girls are being denied the opportunity to learn.
The title of UNICEF Photo of the Year 2025 has been awarded to the striking photograph of ten-year-old Hajira, taken by French photographer and journalist Elise Blanchard in the Afghan province of Nangarhar. In the winning photograph, the girl reads from an open schoolbook amid the sparse conditions of her remote village. It is a moment of determination and curiosity that reflects a quiet yet unwavering thirst for knowledge. In Afghanistan, more than 2.2 million girls are barred from attending school – a situation which severely limits their ability to make decisions about their own future. For Hajira and many other girls, the pursuit of education remains a strong symbol of resilience and hope despite the difficult living conditions they must endure.
The winning photograph illuminates the predicament of children in Afghanistan and how their rights are being threatened under the current political and social climate. Many of us take education for granted, but for girls in Afghanistan it is becoming an impossible dream.
Main Image: © Elise Blanchard