Taliban orders were issued, and all universities in Afghanistan have been instructed to stop girls’ education immediately

Almost a year and a half have passed since the withdrawal of America from Afghanistan and then the occupation of the Taliban. Meanwhile, the Taliban issued many decrees one by one and crushed the rights of women and girls there one by one. Now a similar Tughlaq decree was issued on Tuesday, December 20, when the Taliban banned the education of girls in the universities of Afghanistan. The Taliban Higher Education Minister has announced that this order will come into force with immediate effect.

This is not the first incident in the Taliban rule that started in Afghanistan in August 2021 when women have been deprived of their human rights. Let’s look at those 6 decrees of the Taliban which have worked against the interests of women and girls.

Girls will not study in colleges, the university door closed for them

The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education has said that girls will not be allowed to enter Afghanistan’s universities until further notice. According to the report of Aljazeera, in a letter confirmed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Higher Education, all public and private universities of the country have been instructed to stop the education of girls immediately.

School education has already been locked

The decree banning girls in universities is further weakening the already suppressed female education. In fact, since the return of the Taliban in August last year, Afghan girls have been expelled from secondary schools. The Taliban announced as soon as they took power that despite their previous assurances, girls would not be allowed to attend secondary schools. Although the Ministry of Education there had announced the reopening of the schools in March 2022, but a few hours after the opening of the school, the order of Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhunjada came and it was locked again.

No entry even in the park in Kabul

In November 2022, the Taliban banned women from visiting all parks in Kabul. Earlier, women were allowed to visit the park at least three days a week – Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday – and men on the remaining four days. But after this no-entry decree, women were completely banned inside the park, even if they came with a man from their household.

All women will have to cover their faces, otherwise, they will be fined, jailed and jobless

In May 2022, the Taliban issued an order for all women in Afghanistan to cover their faces in public. According to the report of The Guardian, in this order, the responsibility of following the order was put on the relatives of women and those who employed them. According to the order, if a woman’s face is seen in public, her male “guardian/guardian” will be fined, and then jailed. According to the report, it has been said in the order that if the woman or her relatives who go out without covering their face work for the government, then they will be fired.

No going away alone

Taliban officials said in December 2021 that women wishing to travel long distances (more than 72 KM) should not be seated in a car/bus unless accompanied by a close male relative. Guidelines issued by a Taliban ministry asked all vehicle owners to allow only women wearing the Islamic hijab to sit.

No drama with female actors will come on TV

In November 2021, the Taliban officials of Afghanistan issued a new ‘religious guideline’, asking the country’s television channels not to show dramas and serials that have female actors. The Taliban also said that women journalists appearing on TV would have to wear the Islamic hijab. One such order was issued in May 2022.

These figures are telling how frightening the situation is for women.

The Taliban forced women there to quit their jobs, restricted their schooling, and made it difficult for them to go out in public. When the Taliban regime completed one year in August 2022, Save the Children published a report titled “Breaking point: Life for children one year since the Taliban takeover”. According to this report:

• Due to financial constraints in Afghanistan, 97% of families are struggling to feed their families and girls are eating less than boys.

• Girls in Afghanistan are twice as likely as boys to go to bed hungry often, and nine out of 10 girls said their diet had decreased over the past year.

• 26% of girls are showing symptoms of depression compared to 16% of boys while 27% of girls are showing symptoms of anxiety compared to 18% of boys.

• Of the children who said they were forced to marry in the past year to improve their family’s financial status, 88% were girls.