In Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities have issued an indefinite ban on university education for girls. This was announced by the Ministry of Higher Education in a letter sent to all government and private universities in the country. “We inform you to implement the aforementioned order to suspend girls’ education until further notice,” reads the letter signed by the Minister of Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem.
The new ban comes less than three months after thousands of girls and women took college entrance exams across the country. For girls, the ban on access to secondary schools had already taken place. Returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban promised to be more flexible, but in fact they have largely reverted to the ultra-strict interpretation of Islam that marked their first stint in power, between 1996 and 2001. liberticidal measures have multiplied in particular against women who have been progressively excluded from public life and from education. In an unexpected about-face, the Taliban closed secondary schools on March 23 just hours after their much-heralded reopening.