The measure, highly criticized by international organizations, represents a new setback and has coincided with the announcement of the release of two Americans who were being held
In a new attack against the freedoms of women and their right to receive academic training, the Taliban government announced on Tuesday that “until further notice” they will be prohibited from accessing the University at the state level. The news, highly criticized by international organizations and NGOs, comes three months after thousands of female students took the necessary exams to pursue higher education studies.
“It is recommended that they implement the order to suspend women’s education until further notice,” indicates a letter signed by the head of Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, sent to all public and private universities and disseminated by the Afghan news agency Jama Press. For his part, the Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Mohamad Khalid Hanafi, also specified this Tuesday that the reopening of educational centers, closed since the Taliban came to power, “depends to a large extent on the creation of a decent cultural and religious environment.”
Non-governmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) were quick to describe this decision as “shameful” and consider it a violation of the “right to education” of women and girls in Afghanistan. “The Taliban make it clear every day that they do not respect the fundamental rights of Afghans, especially women,” he added.
Since the fundamentalist group regained power in August last year, the rights and freedoms of women have been continuously and progressively curtailed. Universities had already been forced to apply new rules, including segregation by sex in classrooms and entrances to centers. In addition, most adolescent girls across the country have been denied access to secondary education, frustrating their aspirations for higher education.
Although the Taliban promised the West to be more flexible in its interpretation of Islam, they continue to be just as radical with women as they were when they held power in Afghanistan in the 1990s. The country’s citizens, not surprisingly, are being increasingly pushed aside more than public life. They have no right to travel without being accompanied by a male relative and must cover their faces with a burqa or hijab when leaving home. In November, they were also prohibited from accessing parks, gardens, sports halls, and public toilets, and female civil servants have been excluded from most public jobs.
Fear of retaliation
Despite growing anger over the setbacks following the gains made by women during the years when Afghanistan was controlled by the United States and its NATO allies, reprisals against them and fear have been on the rise. The protests only gather a few dozen and numerous protesters have been arrested.
The decision to ban women from studying at university came the same day that the US government confirmed the release of two Americans who remained in the hands of the Taliban. “We understand this as a goodwill gesture from the Taliban. It is not part of a prisoner or detainee exchange,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price, who noted that no money was involved.
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