Universities in Afghanistan, closed since the Taliban’s takeover last year, will be reopened next month in two phases, the Taliban said, without clarifying if girls will be allowed to attend classes. Girls above the sixth grade have not been allowed to attend public education institutions.    
The Taliban's acting Higher Education Minister Sheikh Abdul Baqi Haqqani said on Sunday that universities in warmer provinces will reopen from 2 February, while those in colder areas would reopen on 26 February, reported Khaama Press. 

Since August, when the Taliban took power, the regime has been under pressure from the international community to respect human rights, including educational and work rights for women and girls. However, the regime has not taken concrete steps in that direction.

On Sunday, Haqqani didn’t specify if girls would be allowed to attend classes. Earlier, the regime officials had offered vague assurances, saying girls would be allowed to study once the environment and facilities were safe for them.

The Taliban has reopened high schools for boys only in most parts of the country. Private universities have reopened, with segregated classes for girls. However, in many cases, girls aren’t even allowed in private universities. 

No country in the world has yet acknowledged the Taliban’s regime and has conditioned it with the group’s commitment to respecting basic human rights and gender rights. 

Thousands of women, earlier working in several government ministries and departments, were fired by the Taliban last year. 

On Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio-Guterres said on Twitter, “To demonstrate a real commitment to be a part of the global community, the Taliban must recognize and uphold the basic human rights that belong to every girl and woman.”

Guterres also reminded the Taliban that many women and girls in the country are the sole breadwinners in their families. “In Afghanistan, women and girls are once again being denied their rights to education, employment, and equal justice,” he added. 

(SAM)