Afghanistan: Taliban ban women from universities amid condemnation

The Taliban have banned women from colleges in Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation and despair among young adults in the country.

The larger education minister introduced the regression on Tuesday, saying it would take immediate effect.

The ban additional restricts women’s education and learning – girls have already been excluded from supplementary schools since the Taliban returned last year.

Several women staged protests in the capital Kabul on Wednesday.

“Today we come out within the streets of Kabul to raise our sounds against the closure of the girls’ universities, inch protesters from the Afghanistan Women’s Unity plus Solidarity group said.

The small demonstrations were quickly shut down by Taliban officials.

The United Nations and several countries have condemned the order, which takes Afghanistan back to the Taliban’s first period of rule when girls could not receive formal education.

The UN’s Special Rapporteur to Afghanistan mentioned it was “a brand new low further violating the right to equal education and deepens the erasure of girls from Afghan community. ”

The US mentioned such a move might “come with outcomes for the Taliban”.

“The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of in Afghanistan, inch said Secretary associated with State Antony Blinken in a statement.

“No country can flourish when half of its population is held back. ”

Women students have informed the BBC regarding their anguish. “They destroyed the only bridge that could connect myself with my future, ” one Kabul University student said.

“How can I react? I believed that I could study and change the future or accept the light to my existence but they destroyed it. ”

Another college student told the BBC she was a woman who had “lost everything”.

She had been studying Sharia Islamic law and argued the Taliban’s purchase contradicted “the rights that Islam plus Allah have given us”.

“They have to go to other Islamic countries and see that their actions aren’t Islamic, ” the lady told the BBC.

Western countries have demanded all year how the Taliban improve feminine education if they wish to be formally recognized as Afghanistan’s authorities.

However in neighbouring Pakistan, the foreign ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) said while this individual was “disappointed” with the Taliban’s decision, he still advocated engagement.

“I still think the easiest path to our own goal – despite having a lot of setbacks when it comes to women’s education and other things — is through Kabul and through the interim government, ” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The Taliban had guaranteed a softer principle after seizing power last year following the US’ withdrawal from the nation. However the hardline Islamists have continued to roll back ladies rights and freedoms in the country.

The Taliban’s leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and his inner group have been against contemporary education – particularly for girls and women.

There has been opposition for this stance from a lot more moderate officials, and analysts say this problem has been a point associated with factional division most year.

Yet upon Tuesday, the education ministry said its scholars had evaluated the particular university curriculum and environment, and attendance for girls would be suspended “until a suitable environment” was provided.

This added that it would soon provide this kind of setting and “citizens should not be worried”.

However in March, the Taliban had promised in order to re-open some higher schools for girls but then cancelled the proceed the day they were because of return.

The crackdown also follows the wave of new restrictions on women recently. In November, women had been banned from recreational areas, gyms and general public baths in the capital.

A university lecturer and Afghan activist in the US said the Taliban had finished their isolation of women by suspending university or college for them.

“This was the last thing the Taliban could do. Afghanistan is not a nation for women but instead a cage for women, inch Humaira Qaderi told the BBC.

The Taliban experienced just three months back allowed thousands of women and women to sit university entry exams in most provinces across the country.

But there have been restrictions on the topics they could apply for , with engineering, economics, veterinary science and agriculture blocked plus journalism severely restricted.

Prior to Tuesday’s statement, universities had already been operating under discriminatory rules for women because the Taliban takeover in 2021.

There were gender segregated entrances and classrooms, and woman students could just be taught simply by women professors or even old men.

However , women were still obtaining education. Unesco observed on Tuesday that from 2001 plus 2018 – the time between Taliban rule – the rate associated with female attendance in higher education had improved 20 times.

Several women have got told the BBC they gave up after the Taliban regained principle because of “too numerous difficulties”.

Analysis by Yogita Limaye, BBC Southern Asia correspondent

There has been speculation for more than a month now that the particular Taliban government might ban university education for women.

A single female student predicted it a few weeks ago. “One day we will wake up and they will say women are banned through universities, ” she had said.

And so, while many Afghans might have expected that sooner or later this decision would be taken, it still comes as a surprise.

Last 30 days women were barred from parks, gyms and swimming pools. In March this year, the Taliban government failed to deliver on the commitment to open supplementary schools for girls.

Through conversations with Taliban leaders over the past season, it is evident there is disagreement within the Taliban on the issue of girls’ education.

Off the record, some Taliban associates have repeatedly stated they are hopeful plus working to try and make sure girls get an education.

Girls were allowed to sit intended for graduation exams pertaining to secondary schools a couple weeks ago, in 31 of Afghanistan’s thirty four provinces, even though they haven’t been permitted to be in school to get more than a year.

That provided a glimmer of wish, which has now already been extinguished.