Kabul: The Taliban government has imposed a ban on girls in Afghanistan’s universities. The government has given an ultimatum to private and government universities to implement the ban immediately. Banned from higher education, the Taliban also prevented hundreds of girls from entering universities. The order issued by Higher Education Minister Neda Muhammad Nadeem said that those who are currently studying should also be expelled. Nadeem’s order states that women’s education is suspended until further notice. United Nations, United States and Britain condemned the move.
The United States has sharply criticized the Taliban’s move to ban women from universities. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinkon expressed strong condemnation of the decision. The Taliban cannot hope to become a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of everyone in Afghanistan. The decision will have ramifications for the Taliban, he added, adding that no country can prosper when half the population is left behind. United States UN Ambassador Robert Wood said that this action will isolate Afghanistan among the nations of the world.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned by the Taliban’s decision, his spokesman said. Stréphane Dujarric said that the Secretary General made it clear that the denial of education not only violates the rights of women and girls but also has a devastating effect on the country’s future. The UN chief’s Afghanistan representative, Ramiz Alekbarov, also responded that the United Nations is worried about the order. Education is a fundamental right. He also tweeted that the door to women’s education is the door to Afghanistan’s future. The UN Security Council responded in September that the international community would not and would not forget Afghan women and girls.
The order banning higher education comes less than three months after thousands of girls and women across the country were allowed to sit university entrance exams. Girls were already banned from secondary schools.
Although many Taliban officials say the ban on secondary education is only temporary, the Taliban cites several justifications for the closure. These range from lack of funds to the time required to reconstruct the syllabus in an Islamic manner.
Despite promising soft rule when they seized power last year, the Taliban defied international opposition and imposed restrictions on women in all fields. Universities were forced to enforce laws requiring women to be taught only by female professors or older men, and to separate classrooms and entrances for boys and girls. Women were forced out of many government jobs. Girls are also prohibited from traveling without a male relative. Burqa has also been made compulsory outside the house. In November, the Taliban also banned people from going to parks, funfairs and gyms.
This shows their illiteracy and lack of knowledge about Islam and human rights. The students responded that if the situation continues like this, the future will be bad. Universities are currently on winter break and will reopen in March.