Women have been banned from Universities in Afghanistan by the Taliban, an action which has ignited international condemnation and hopelessness among young people in the country.
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| Female students of an Afghan University stopped by an Afghan female security personnel. Photo: Wakil KOHSAR / AFP via THE TIMES OF ISRAEL |
The Minister of Higher Education, made the announcement of the regression on Tuesday and said it will take effect immediately.
Women’s education suffers more restriction as the ban takes immediate effect.
Since the Taliban returned last year, girls have already been excluded from secondary schools.
On Wednesday, some women protested in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Protesters from the Afghanistan Women’s Unity and Solidarity group said, “Today we come out on the streets of Kabul to raise our voices against the closure of the girls’ universities.”
Taliban officials immediately swung into action to quench the demonstrations.
The United Nations (UN) alongside some other countries have strongly criticized the order. This drags Afghanistan back to the first period of the Taliban’s rule when girls were banned from receiving formal education.
“A new low further violating the right to equal education and deepens the erasure of women from Afghan society,” said the UN’s Special Rapporteur to Afghanistan.
Such an action could “come with consequences for the Taliban”, the United States (US) warned.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement, said, “The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all in Afghanistan.
“No country can thrive when half of its population is held back.”
