Taliban Bans Women From Universities

The Taliban has banned women from universities in Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation and despair among young people in the country.

The higher education minister made the announcement on Tuesday, saying it would take immediate effect.

The ban further restricts women’s education – girls have already been excluded from secondary schools since the Taliban returned last year.

The ban on tertiary education follows rules set last month, where women were banned from parks, gyms and public baths in the capital.

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Just three months ago, the Taliban had allowed thousands of girls and women to sit university entrance exams in most provinces across the country.

But there were sweeping restrictions on the subjects they could apply for, with engineering, economics, veterinary science and agriculture blocked and journalism severely restricted.

Under Taliban rule, universities had already been operating under discriminatory rules for women – with gender segregated entrances to campuses and separate classrooms.

Female students could only be taught by women professors or old men.