The “Taliban” banned women from entering university entrance exams

The Ministry of Education of Afghanistan has banned private universities from admitting girls and women to entrance exams. The ministry’s letter states that universities will be held accountable in court for violating the ban.

There are 40 state and 150 private universities in Afghanistan. The nearest entrance exams in Afghan universities should be held at the end of February.

Earlier, in December 2022, access to universities for already enrolled female students was suspended in Afghanistan. The Taliban government also banned women from working in non-governmental organizations – there are about 180 of them in the country. Because of this ban, the UN suspended some of the humanitarian programs in the country. The “Taliban” also closed girls’ access to senior classes in most schools.

The international community sharply condemns the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power. Foreign governments, including the United States, have said that the Taliban needs to change its policy on women’s education before countries can consider officially recognizing the Taliban administration. The head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, called harassment on the basis of gender “a crime against humanity.”

• After coming to power in August 2021, the Taliban promised to respect women’s rights, but soon began to introduce restrictions. In September 2021, they changed the rules for universities: men and women were required to study separately and come to classes in accordance with a strict dress code, which assumes full observance of the traditions of Islam as understood by the Taliban. The Islamists liquidated the 20-year-old Ministry of Women’s Affairs, restricted access to school education for girls, forbade women to play sports, and forced TV presenters to wear the hijab.
• The Taliban movement is recognized as terrorist in many countries of the world, including Russia, but the Russian authorities maintain contacts with the Taliban at the official level.