DRC Denounces the Announcement to Bar Women in Afghanistan from University

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) denounces the Taliban’s announcement to bar female students from universities in Afghanistan and calls on the relevant authorities to revoke the decision. This is a brutal suppression of the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls violating their fundamental rights to education and limiting the opportunities and futures of half the country’s population.

Access to education is both a vital tool to achieve gender equality and a crucial requirement for the equitable and sustainable development of countries. This move by the Taliban reverses the great strides and progress made for women’s rights and freedoms in the past two decades and jeopardizes Afghanistan’s future.

Education is a prerequisite for challenging the gender norms that limit women’s political and civic participation and achieving economic and social stability within a country. A lack of education for girl’s means a lifetime of dependence on their male counterparts and limited means to fulfil their capabilities and aspirations.

We urge Afghanistan to respect the rights of all members of its society and grant girls and women equal access to secondary school and university education.