Taliban authorities have closed down several private institutions, including English language centers, that remained open to girls and women in Kabul despite the Taliban’s incremental bans since their return to power.
While the Taliban authorities barred girls and women beyond primary education based on a series of measures since late 2021, many private institutions still allowed them to receive informal education, at least in the capital.
But Taliban officials issued a verbal announcement to these institutions on Sunday not to allow girls and women. It is unknown which unit in the Taliban issued it.
One source in the western Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in Kabul said that at least two English language centers were closed down in the area. However, the private Muslim English Language Institute is still open to girls.
Another source from the same area echoed that these institutions, including Kaaj Education Center which was struck by a suicide attack in September last year killing mostly teenage girls, have been closed for girls until further notice.
Purple Saturday’s Movement, a women-led protestors initiative, has called these measures by the Taliban authorities “misogynistic”, saying that the group has extremely restricted girls and women from going to schools, government jobs, stadiums, entertainment places, and all parts of society just because of their gender, and this is a gross violation of their human rights.
In the statement, the movement has asked the international community to exercise serious measures and “honest sanctions” on the group to pressure them to respect human rights, especially the rights of women.
“We also ask the international community to support the women of Afghanistan so that all anti-women orders of the group against women are canceled and girls’ schools are reopened. The human rights of women should be respected.” Part of the statement reads.
