Taliban in Afghanistan has issued a letter to all government and private universities, commanding the ban on women’s education. The Taliban have stationed their soldiers outside the universities to prevent women to enter colleges and schools. Moreover, the Taliban has ordered that all national and international non-governmental organizations not allow any of their female employees to report for duty. The sociopolitical and humanitarian challenges that Afghani people are currently experiencing are severely impacting the educational system.
Unless people are not going to take a stand for women’s education the change in the regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan will be difficult. Career for women under the Taliban is out of the question and beyond the thinking of common people.
WOMEN’S CONDITION
According to a student, Taliban security agents at one university rounded up instructors who permitted women to take their last exam of the year and took them to a nearby police station. Barriers to women’s education will have a knock-on impact, making it harder for Afghan women to participate in the workforce and other facets. The Taliban in Afghanistan is restricting companies and NGOs from recruiting women. The idea is to discourage women’s education and work and enforce their orthodox laws which are violating gender rights and human rights.
Taliban last year claimed that they would protect gender rights and human rights, but they took major decisions violating women’s rights. In November 2022, the Taliban in Afghanistan banned women from gyms, public baths, public parks, and amusement parks. In December 2022, the Taliban took a significantly devalued decision of banning women’s education.
“We were anticipating these days, and now the Taliban have proven with their actions that women mean nothing to them.”- A girl from a government university made this statement.
WOMEN’S HOPE DESTROYED BY THE TALIBAN
Primary schools for girls are still open. Even in the rural conservative regions, people want to educate their daughters. People understand the importance of women’s education. But under the rule of the Taliban, this does not seem possible. The Taliban in Afghanistan after they took control had claimed that there would be no discrimination against women after August of last year.The secondary schools for girls in Afghanistan are still open in some places there. Some universities are at risk of collapse because of the ban on women’s education. Women’s condition under the regime of the Taliban is miserable and its bearings have implications for its population. In some universities, male students walked out of their exams protesting solidarity for women’s education with their female classmates. Many girls have even committed suicide in Afghanistan due to this ban.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT FOR WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN
There is a need for action from the international community to restrict the Taliban. Actions are needed to prevent the people of the country from difficult conditions where daily life survival is becoming difficult. The international community needs to negotiate with the Taliban to allow for the continuation of women’s education. The prohibition of women’s education will directly affect the livelihoods of families where male members are not present. If there are no schools or universities for women, women’s education will be reversed. There is already a lack of female doctors and gynecologists, which is somehow increasing the maternity mortality rate. According to international reports, Afghanistan has the highest number of maternal deaths in the Asia-Pacific.
UN’s STAND ON WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN
The UNSC, on the 27th of December, expressed its concern about the Taliban restricting women from attending universities. The 15-member Security Council stated that it “represents an increasing erosion for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms”. UN Security Council urges Taliban to reverse restrictions on women. It urged the Taliban “to reopen schools and swiftly reverse these policies and practices”. UN demands “immediate” repeal of Taliban decision to restrict women from attending institutions.
– António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) tweeted, “The latest restrictions by the Taliban on employment & education of women & girls are unjustifiable human rights violations & must be revoked.”
-JASMINE CHOUDHARY
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