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World reacts to IEA’s suspension of women from universities
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) decision to suspend university education for women and girls has drawn strong condemnation from international organizations and foreign governments.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that preventing half of the population from contributing meaningfully to society and the economy will have a “devastating impact” on the whole country.
“It will expose Afghanistan to further international isolation, economic hardship and suffering, impacting millions for years to come,” UNAMA said in a statement.
In Washington, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: “Education is an internationally recognized human right and it is essential to Afghanistan’s economic growth and its stability. This unacceptable stance will have significant consequences for the Taliban (IEA) and will further alienate the Taliban (IEA) from the international community and deny them the legitimacy they desire.”
Human Rights Watch said: “While the new ban is a shamelessly misogynistic addition, the education cycle was already broken when the Taliban (IEA) banned teenage girls from secondary school.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry stressed that “these negative practices” will have a significant impact on human rights, development, and the economy in Afghanistan.
Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the suspension was “another egregious curtailment of women’s rights and a deep and profound disappointment for every single female student.”
“It is also another step by the Taliban (IEA) away from a self-reliant and prosperous Afghanistan,” she said.
Pakistan urged the IEA to revisit the decision.
“We strongly believe that every man and woman has the inherent right to education in accordance with the injunctions of Islam,” said Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
The UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan has called on the international community to maintain their support for Afghanistan, warning that the return of more than 6.5 million Afghans over the past three years has placed significant pressure on the country.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks during the eighth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul, South Korea, where he highlighted the challenges facing returnees amid poverty, drought and climate-related disasters.
He said the returning population accounts for around 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population, describing the influx as one of the world’s largest movements of people. He added that Afghanistan was struggling to absorb the large-scale returns due to its existing economic and humanitarian challenges.
Jamal also highlighted difficulties facing Afghan women, saying that the absence of war does not necessarily mean all citizens enjoy safety.
In a separate interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Jamal said supporting refugees and vulnerable countries was not simply an act of charity but an investment in a safer and more stable international environment.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern. Although the country is relatively calm at present, he cautioned that this situation should not be taken for granted without continued international support.
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