Women have been banned from private and public universities in Afghanistan immediately and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said on December 20, 2022, the latest order to crack down on their rights and freedoms.
The decision was released after a meeting of the Taliban government.
Despite initially promising a more moderate regime and rights for women and minorities, the Taliban have widely enforced their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.
They banned middle school and high school girls, restricted women in most of the jobs, and ordered them to dress head-to-toe in public. Women are also banned to go in parks and gyms.
A letter shared by Ministry of Higher Education spokesperson Ziaullah Hashmi asked private and public universities to implement the ban as soon as possible and inform the ministry if the ban is implemented.
Hashmi tweeted the letter from his account and confirmed its contents in a message to The Associated Press.
The university’s ban comes weeks after Afghan girls took their high school graduation exams, despite being banned from classrooms since the Taliban took over the country last year.