The Taliban has banned women from universities in Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation and despair among the country’s youth.
The higher education minister announced on Tuesday, saying it would take effect immediately.
The ban further restricts women’s education – girls have already been barred from secondary schools since the Taliban returned last year.
In Kabul, students tell the BBC their anguish
“They destroyed the only bridge connecting me to my future,” said a Kabul university student.
“How can I react? I believed that I could study and change my future or bring light into my life but they destroyed it.”
The United States on Tuesday strongly condemned the Taliban’s actions “in the strongest terms” and said such a move “will have consequences for the Taliban.”
“The Taliban cannot hope to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of everyone in Afghanistan,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
“No country can prosper when half its population is retained.”
Western countries have demanded all year that the Taliban improve women’s education if they wish to be officially recognized as the Afghan government.
The UN also said it was “deeply concerned”.
“Education is a basic human right. A closed door to women’s education is a closed door to Afghanistan’s future,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, deputy special representative of the UN chief for the Afghanistan.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and his entourage have opposed modern education, especially for girls and women.
The Taliban had promised looser rule after taking power last year after the United States withdrew from the country. However, extremist Islamists have continued to roll back women’s rights and freedoms in the country.