In a recent announcement the Taliban said, women in Afghanistan can continue to study in universities, including at the postgraduate level, but classrooms will be gender-segregated and head coverings will be compulsory.
However, it can be noted that the Taliban has already started neglecting promises that they made on women’s rights. Earlier the Taliban had formed an all-male government. They further imposed strict restrictions on women’s apparel. Women to wear a veil at university if taught by a male teacher.
Despite the Taliban’s posturing, women have been banned from sports and the Taliban has used violence in recent days against female protesters demanding equal rights.
Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani laid out the new policies at a news conference on Sunday, a day after the Taliban raised their flag over the presidential palace, signaling the start of work of the new, all-male government announced last week.
On Sunday, Haqqani said female university students will face restrictions that include a compulsory dress code. He said hijabs will be mandatory but did not specify if this meant compulsory headscarves or also compulsory face coverings.
Gender segregation will also be enforced, he said. “We will not allow boys and girls to study together,” he said. “We will not allow co-education.”
He said female students would be taught by women wherever possible. “Thanks to God we have a high number of women teachers. We will not face any problems with this. All efforts will be made to find and provide women teachers for female students,” he said.
While he did not elaborate, he said he wanted graduates of Afghanistan’s universities to be competitive with university graduates in the region and the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, Afghan Women’s Rights Activist Activist Wazhma Frogh delivered a poignant speech to the UN Security Council, calling out the need to protect Afghan women and welcome Afghan refugees. While delivering the speech she said “Taliban has asked the world to be patient while taking charge then why not ask them to demonstrate peace through their actions, ask them to stop women beating in the streets, ask them to stop torturing journalists, ask them to respect each and every individual in the country”.
She further thanked the countries who helped to evacuate and protect women activist and journalist.
“She became emotional as she said I pray that none of you experience losing your country overnight like we did in Afghanistan”
Earlier women activists protesting for their right against Taliban, when hundreds of Afghan women thronged the streets and participated in the protest.
