The Taliban announced Wednesday that two of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces have reopened public universities for female students.
Nangarhar and Kandahar were selected as the first two districts to allow women back into classes due to their warmer climates, the Taliban-run Ministry of Information and Culture said. As part of the Taliban’s gender-segregated system, male students will attend classes in the morning, while female students will attend in the afternoon, according to the Associated Press.
The ministry described the reopening in these two provinces as a staggered process and expects to see all students, both men and women, return to universities. Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the Taliban-appointed education minister, said on Sunday the next reopenings of Afghan public universities for men and women will be on Feb. 26 and will include the University of Kabul, the outlet reported.
PREGNANT JOURNALIST GIVEN REFUGE BY TALIBAN ALLOWED HOME TO NEW ZEALAND
“All instructors and officials are advised to concentrate on their responsibilities and provide the required facilities for the students,” Haqqani said in a recorded video clip.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan shared the expected announcement on Tuesday, calling the decision “the start of something truly important for Afghanistan.” UNAMA stated on social media it is “crucial that every young person has equal access to education.”
Tomorrow can be the start of something truly important for Afghanistan. UN welcomes the announcement that public universities will begin re-opening 2 February to all female and male students. So crucial that every young person has equal access to education. pic.twitter.com/BI7rGDJt3Q
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) February 1, 2022
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women has come under scrutiny since the group’s takeover of the country in August 2021. The Taliban ordered Kabul women in Sept. 2021 to leave the workforce in the city, with exceptions only made for women who could not be replaced by men. A few days prior, Taliban spokesman Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi said in an interview that women are incapable of performing government duties.
