The Taliban government in Afghanistan announced today (Tuesday) that female students will not be allowed access to universities in the country until further notice. The Ministry of Higher Education ordered public and private universities in Afghanistan to suspend access to female students immediately, in accordance with the government’s decision.
The world was quick to condemn the decision to ban women’s access to higher education, which raises concerns in the international community, which has not officially recognized the de facto Taliban government. Foreign governments, including the United States, have said the policy change on women’s education is needed before it can consider formal recognition of the Taliban-run government, which is also subject to heavy sanctions.
As you may remember, the Taliban was criticized in the past by many foreign governments and some Afghans for going back on promises to open all high schools to girls.
The Taliban government’s announcement, which has not been internationally recognized, came during a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Afghanistan, where the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rosa Otunbayeva, said the school closures had “undermined” the relationship. of the Taliban government with the international community.
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“As long as girls remain excluded from school and the actual authorities continue to ignore other stated concerns of the international community, we remain at an impasse,” she said.
Foreign governments, including the United States, have said a policy change on female education is needed before they can consider formal recognition of the Taliban-run government, which is also subject to heavy sanctions.
“The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all Afghans, especially the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls,” US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told the council, describing the move as “absolutely indefensible”.
The British ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, said that the suspension is “another blatant reduction of women’s rights and a deep, deep disappointment for every female student.” “This is also another step by the Taliban away from an independent and prosperous Afghanistan,” she told the council.
The UN spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said that the move is “obviously another promise that has been broken by the Taliban.” “, he told reporters in New York.
The decision was made when many university students are taking end of semester exams. One mother of a university student, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said her daughter called her in tears when she heard about the letter, fearing she would not be able to continue her medical studies in Kabul.
“It is impossible to describe the pain that not only me… and (other) mothers have in our hearts. We all feel this pain, they are worried about the future of their children,” she said.