The Taliban on Wednesday mentioned they've reopened public universities for girls college students in six of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, a transfer marking a significant concession to worldwide calls for by the nation's new rulers.
Since they swept into energy in mid-August, the worldwide neighborhood has watched to see whether or not the Taliban will impose the identical harsh measures as throughout their Nineties rule of Afghanistan, together with banning women from training and ladies from the office and public life.
The Taliban have imposed a number of restrictions, a lot of them on ladies, since their takeover — ladies have been banned from many roles exterior the well being and instructing sector, and women haven't been in a position to go to highschool after grade six.
The Taliban demand ladies put on headscarves however have stopped in need of imposing the burqa, the head-to overlaying that was obligatory beneath their earlier rule.
The Taliban-run tradition and knowledge ministry mentioned Wednesday that public universities within the provinces of Nangarhar and Kandahar have been now open for girls in what it described as a staggered course of anticipated to see all college students — women and men — finally return to school.
Later within the day, the Taliban spokesman for the ministry of upper training, Ahmad Taqqi, mentioned public universities additionally reopened Wednesday for girls in 4 extra provinces — Helmand, Farah, Nimroz, and Laghman.
The six provinces have hotter climates, which the Taliban say is the rationale they're the primary to reopen. Males will attend courses within the morning and ladies within the afternoon, aligning with a gender-segregated system beneath the Taliban.
Earlier this week, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the Taliban-appointed training minister, mentioned that public universities elsewhere in Afghanistan, together with the College of Kabul, would reopen for each women and men on February 26.
"All instructors and officers are suggested to focus on their obligations and supply the required services for the scholars," Haqqani mentioned in a recorded video clip on Sunday.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan welcomed his announcement, calling it "essential for Afghanistan" in a tweet Tuesday. "So essential that each younger particular person has equal entry to training," the mission mentioned.
On Wednesday, Taliban-appointed tradition and knowledge minister, Khairullah Khairkhwa, visited the Kandahar College and mentioned that "fashionable and Islamic training concurrently can lead a rustic to prosperity."
Since their takeover, the Taliban have come beneath heavy fireplace for denying women and girls training. Reopening of public universities could be their first concession.
The Taliban have additionally promised that each one women can be again in class by the tip of March at first of the Afghan new yr.