The European Union on Wednesday signaled its «strong condemnation» of the Taliban’s decision to deny university access to women in Afghanistan, saying gender-based persecution is a crime against humanity.
In a message on social media, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell denounced the ban in Afghanistan «until further notice» on the admission of women to public and private universities across the country.
«The EU strongly condemns the Taliban’s decision to suspend higher education for Afghan women. It is a unique move in the world that violates the rights and aspirations of Afghans and deprives Afghan society of the contribution of women,» she said in her message in which she stressed that persecution against women is a «crime against humanity.»
The Taliban-installed authorities in Afghanistan on Tuesday banned «until further notice» the participation of women in universities, the Afghan news agency Jaama Press reported. The Ministry of Higher Education, headed by Mullah Neda Mohamed Nadim, issued a brief statement urging the suspension of women’s admission to higher educational institutions.
The Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice — which replaced the Ministry of Women’s Affairs after the Taliban came to power — Mohamad Khalid Hanafi, had specified on Tuesday that the reopening of secondary education centers for female students, closed under the current regime, «depends to a large extent on the creation of a decent cultural and religious environment.»
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
