Afghanistan: Taliban arrest women protesting against university ban

In recent days, an alarming development has emerged in Afghanistan, where women in several provinces have been arrested for protesting against the Taliban’s decision to ban women from universities across the country.

The Taliban, an insurgent Islamist militia that controls parts of Afghanistan and has recently expanded their influence, announced the ban on February 4, 2021. The decree states that no women are allowed to study at universities in regions under the Taliban’s control, citing concerns over “public decency” and “social norms”.

Understandably, the announcement has sent shockwaves across Afghanistan and has sparked outrage among women’s rights activists. Women have taken to the streets in protest of the decision, often carrying signs with the slogan “rights not restrictions” and chanting “we want education!”. In some provinces, the protests have resulted in the arrest of several protesters by the Taliban.

The protests and the arrests have been condemned by many in the international community, who argue that the Taliban’s decision is a direct violation of women’s basic rights. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has stated that “the right to receive education is a fundamental human right that must be respected without discrimination and without regard to gender,” and that “equality and non-discrimination are essential components of the rule of law and the realization of human rights.”

Nevertheless, it remains unclear if the protests and the condemnations of the international community will have any tangible effect on the Taliban’s decision. The organization has been infamously resilient in the face of outside pressure and in the past, the policy changes that were imposed by the international community were eventually derailed by the Taliban.

With the situation in Afghanistan increasingly precarious, the future of women’s rights and access to education remains uncertain. It is essential that the international community continue to pressure the Taliban to reverse their decision and to work towards a more equal and just society for all Afghans.