The Taliban government has suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan, the latest step in its brutal crackdown on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women.
Girls had already been prevented from returning to secondary schools in March of this year, after the Taliban ordered girls’ schools to close just hours after reopening following months of closure imposed after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
The Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when the U.S.-led invasion ousted the group from power, has historically treated women as second-class citizens, subjecting them to violence, forced marriages, and an almost invisible presence in the country.
After seizing power in Afghanistan last year, the Taliban attempted to project a more moderate image to gain international support.
However, despite making numerous promises to the international community that it would protect the rights of women and girls, the Taliban has done the opposite, systematically repressing their rights and freedoms.
Women in Afghanistan can no longer work in most sectors, are required to have a male guardian for long-distance travel, and are mandated to cover their faces in public.
In November, a Reuters report revealed that Afghan women were barred from entering amusement parks in Kabul when the government announced restrictions on women’s access to public parks.
Source: CNN