See below the UK's full statement condemning the Taliban's recent
decision to ban women from going to university across
Afghanistan.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State at the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Prime
Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence
in Conflict, said:
The UK strongly condemns the Taliban’s decision to close
universities for women across Afghanistan. This restriction
represents a further violation of the rights and freedoms of
Afghan women and girls and has no religious or moral basis.
Afghan women and girls must have a say in their own future and be
able to fully and equally contribute to society.
We urge the Taliban to reverse their decisions on education,
including the 23 March 2022 decision to prohibit girls’ access to
secondary school. Having educated and empowered women in
Afghanistan is vital for peace, stability and economic
development across the country – without this, the country will
not achieve longer-term stability or prosperity. Bans to
education will only fuel the continued exodus of educated
Afghans, exacerbating the current humanitarian and economic
crisis.
This decision will have damaging consequences for the Taliban by
further isolating them from the people of Afghanistan and the
international community. We will not support any restoration of
waivers to the travel bans on UN-sanctioned Taliban until Afghan
women and girls are allowed to attend secondary school and
university. Working with likeminded partners, we will consider
further action to persuade the Taliban to abandon these
regressive measures and reverse their decisions.
Notes to Editors:
- Since August 2021, we have seen a progressive hardening of
Taliban behaviour. The Taliban have imposed harsh and severe
restrictions on women and girls’ ability to move around freely,
to access parks and gyms, to work, and to access education.
