The Taliban administration in Afghanistan, in its latest repressive edict, has banned female students from sitting for the university entrance exam, slated to be held in February, months after forcing them out of universities.
Back in December, the Taliban banned all women from attending college and universities until further notice, sparking protests as the move resulted in a full ban on girls and women pursuing education after class 6 in Afghanistan.
Now, the Taliban education ministry has issued a notice to universities that states that girls cannot apply for exams until further notice, TOLOnews reported. Female students have been effectively banned from registering for the entrance test.
Despite initially promising a more moderate rule respecting rights for women and minorities, the Taliban have widely implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law since seizing control of the country in May 2021.
Since May, they banned girls from middle school and high school, restricted women from most employment, and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Women are also barred from using gyms and parks.
Even the female employees of all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGO) have been banned from work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women.
The UN rights experts have said the Taliban’s targeting of women and girls deepens “flagrant violations of their human rights and freedoms that are already the most draconian globally and may amount to gender persecution — a crime against humanity”.