Afghanistan: In Taliban-occupied Afghanistan, the Ministry of Higher Education in a letter has ordered a ban on higher education for female students in the country until further announcement. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021 and implemented policies that severely restrict basic rights, especially against women and girls.
The United States has condemned the Taliban’s recent decision to ban women’s education in Afghanistan. White House NSC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said on Tuesday that the United States condemns the Taliban’s unforgivable decision to prevent Afghan women from receiving university-level education. He also said that this is the most reprehensible act of the Taliban leadership to impose additional restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan and prevent them from exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Watson said that as a result of this unacceptable approach of keeping half of Afghanistan’s population behind, the Taliban will be further isolated from the international community and deprived of the legitimacy of their will. He also said that the United States is in close contact with its partners and allies on this issue. “We will continue to take steps to advance our shared efforts to support Afghan women and girls and provide stronger humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan”, Watson said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also expressed concern over this move of the Taliban. He said that the denial of education not only violates the equal rights of women and girls but will also have a devastating impact on the future of the country. Sanjay Verma, a secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), said that India is deeply concerned over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Verma said that India is closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and is actively engaging with the international community on issues concerning the country.