Taliban Suspends University Education For Women In Afghanistan

Women in Afghanistan have been banned by the Taliban authority from going to university or obtaining any higher education.

The directive was contained in a letter by the higher education minister under the Taliban regime. It noted that the closure of universities to women in Afghanistan is until further notice and is expected to take effect immediately.

It further restricts women’s access to formal education, as they were already excluded from most secondary schools.

One of the students interviewed by the BBC said she had been crying since she heard the news. Naija News understands that after the Taliban took over the mantle of leadership of the war-torn country last year, universities introduced gender-segregated classrooms and entrances.

The development restricted female students to women professors or old men as lecturers. The latest measures are said to likely cause further concerns in the international community.

Reacting to the latest action by the Taliban, US Deputy UN Ambassador, Robert Wood, said “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 freedom of women and girls.”

Afghanistan’s education sector was badly affected after the Taliban takeover, and there has been an exodus of trained academics after the withdrawal of US-led forces last year.