After global condemnation, Taliban says varsity ban on Afghan women not 'permanent'

A spokesperson for the Taliban broke the silence on the varsity ban on women in Afghanistan and said that it is “not permanent,” and is merely being postponed. “I would like to make it clear that it is not a permanent ban on women’s education, it has been postponed until a conducive environment is created for their education,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said, according to South China Morning Post.

“The authorities are working in full swing to achieve that as soon as possible,” Shaheen said, adding leaders are not “against women’s education per se” but they simply want Afghan women to “receive education in an environment compliant with our values and rules.”

Despite the rather lengthy statement, the spokesperson did not provide an exact timeline as to when the ban will be lifted. The statement comes weeks after the Taliban’s higher education minister declared a ban on women seeking education at Afghanistan’s universities on December 21.

The ban comes along with another restriction on young girls, who have been excluded from secondary schools since the Taliban came back to power in 2021. Just a day after the varsity ban was declared, NPR said in a report that officials of the Taliban had also stopped women from teaching at multiple educational institutions.

US condemns Taliban's university ban on women 

The draconian ban has garnered condemnation from all around the world, with the United States warning of "consequences" for the "indefensible decision.” "The US condemns in the strongest terms the Taliban’s indefensible decision to ban women from universities, keep secondary schools closed to girls, and continue to impose other restrictions on the ability of women and girls in Afghanistan to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier in December.

"Education is a human right. It is also essential to Afghanistan’s economic growth and stability. The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all in Afghanistan. This decision will come with consequences for the Taliban," he added.