KABUL. Faced with armed men barring women from entering university buildings, hundreds of female students in Afghanistan yesterday, hours after the regime was declared Taliban that they prohibit the participation of women in higher education. After the Sunni fundamentalists came to power Afghan women their rights are violated every day, despite the protests of international public opinion. On Tuesday, the Taliban government announced in a letter to all public and private universities in the country that Afghan universities are now closed to women. Ministry of Education spokesman Zibula Hashimi also confirmed that the ban would remain in effect “until further notice.” The regime did not provide any explanation for its decision. Universities close at the end of the week for the winter break, which lasts until early March.

Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, universities have been forced to adopt new rules aimed at separating men and women in classrooms. However, female students were only eligible to attend classes if the teachers were women or older men. The new ban comes into effect just three months after the end of the country’s university entrance exams, which were attended by thousands of young women. Many of them aspired to careers as doctors and engineers, despite not having access to secondary education and being educated at home.

Returning to power in 2021, the Taliban committed to a moderate policy. However, these commitments were abandoned when the regime again adopted the strictest interpretation of Islam, as it did in the period 1996-2001. From August 2021 to today, women are gradually being squeezed out of public space and public life, excluded from middle and high school.

On March 23, the Taliban decided to close schools, just hours after classes began, which had been suspended for several months. Regime officials attributed this decision to a lack of personnel and funds, as well as the lack of an appropriate Islamic education program.

In addition to education, women in the country are prohibited from working in most positions in the public sector, they receive a small state allowance for staying at home. They are not allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult male relative and must wear a full-length veil to leave the house. In November, the Taliban announced that women were banned from parks, gyms and public baths.