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Taliban bans female students from universities
STORY: Afghan men and women protest separately outside a university in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday (December 21) after the Taliban government banned women from higher education, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations.These female students in the capital Kabul have been in shock since the decision was announced late on Tuesday in a letter to universities.Rafat thought the ban might be fake news when she saw it on social media. But international reports confirmed it. “This morning we went to the university, and we saw that they weren’t allowing us to enter the university, they were mistreating female students.” The ban could make it harder for the Taliban administration to gain international recognition and get rid of sanctions, which are severely hampering the economy.Student Hasti says this will paralyze Afghan society’s development.”My classmates informed me about us being banned from universities, I cried a lot. I had all my study materials but couldn’t study. We were all awake until morning, we didn’t sleep at all. When the sun rose we felt there is no life for women in Afghanistan anymore since they have closed all routes to success for women.”Most girls in Afghanistan are unable to go to school beyond primary level. The Taliban administration says it’s working on a plan for girls’ secondary education but it hasn’t given a time frame.Several Taliban officials, including the deputy foreign minister and administration spokesperson, have spoken out in favor of female education in recent months.But the supreme Taliban spiritual leader, based in the southern city of Kandahar, has the final say on major decisions.
