The United Nations on Wednesday condemned reports that the Taliban extended their indefinite ban on allowing female students above the sixth-grade access to schools.
The decision of the Taliban came hours after Afghan girls were allowed to return to high schools from Wednesday. Media reports said that girl students above the 6th grade were not to be allowed to enter the classrooms at the beginning of the new school year.
"The UN in Afghanistan deplores today's reported announcement by the Taliban that they are further extending their indefinite ban on female students above the 6th grade being permitted to return school," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet.
Teenage girls across Afghanistan were supposed to return to schools after being banned by the Islamic outfit earlier. Since taking over power in August last year, the Taliban have rolled back women's rights in virtually every area, including crushing women's freedom of movement.
The vast majority of girls' secondary schools were closed. Universities recently reopened, with new gender segregation rules. But many women are unable to return, in part because the career they studied for is now off-limits as the Taliban banned women from most of the jobs.
According to HRW, women and girls are blocked from accessing health care as well. Reports suggest that women and girls facing violence have no escape route.
Allowing girls into schools and other educational institutes has been one of the main demands of the international community.
The majority of countries have refused to formally recognise the Taliban amid worries over their treatment of girls and women and other human rights issues.
( With inputs from ANI )
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