UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he is "deeply concerned" by the Taliban's decision to ban women's access to university education in Afghanistan and is urging authorities in the country to ensure "equal access to education at all levels."
The Taliban announced on Tuesday the ban of all women from attending Afghan universities to immediate effect. The announcement came at the same time as the United Nations Security Council in New York, about Afghanistan.
The de facto authorities of Afghanistan instructed all Afghan public and private universities to immediately suspend access for all female students, to which they will not be allowed access "until further notice".
Several male professors have also resigned and some male university students on Wednesday walked out of their exams in protest against the Taliban’s decision to ban female students from university education.
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"The Secretary-General reiterates that denying education is not only a violation of the equal rights of women and girls, but will also have a devastating effect on the country's future," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric reported in a statement.
The ban is the latest development in a series of restrictions on girls and women since the unlawful takeover of the Afghanistan government.
The Taliban has not wavered in its decision after international outcry, saying that the restriction and others like it are put in place to preserve "national interest" and women’s "honour."
