United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is «deeply alarmed» by the Taliban’s decision to deny university access to women in Afghanistan, he said through his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
The secretary general reiterated that the denial of education not only violates women’s equal rights, but will also have «a devastating impact on the future of the country.»
«The Secretary-General urges the de facto authorities to ensure equal access for women and girls to education at all levels,» the spokesman’s statement reads.
The Taliban-installed authorities in Afghanistan on Tuesday banned «until further notice» the admission of women to public and private universities across the country, Afghan news agency Jaama Press reported.
The Ministry of Higher Education, headed by Minister Neda Mohamed Nadim, issued a brief statement, also consulted by the Tolo television network, in which it urged the suspension of the admission of women in higher educational institutions.
The White House also condemned on Tuesday the «unacceptable» decision of the Taliban to veto the admission of Afghan women in public and private universities throughout the country.
«This deplorable decision is the latest effort by the Taliban leadership to impose additional restrictions on Afghan women and girls and prevent them from exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms,» said U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson in a statement.
«As a result of this unacceptable posture of holding back half of Afghanistan’s population, the Taliban will be further alienated from the international community and denied the legitimacy they desire,» Watson said.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
