The Afghan Taliban have been urged to “ensure women’s rights and the importance of full and equal involvement of women and girls in all spheres of life” by the foreign ministers of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The senior diplomat for the UAE contacted Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s decision to forbid children and women from attending Afghan universities.
Taliban-run Afghan higher education ministry has suspended access to universities by female students until further notice. The announcement by the Taliban administration, which has not been internationally recognised, came as the United Nations Security Council met in New York on Afghanistan. Foreign governments, including the United States, have said that a change in policies on women’s education is needed before they formally recognise the Taliban-run administration. Pakistan urged the Afghan authorities to revisit the ruling.
