Kabul: The Taliban administrators of Afghanistan have issued a new decree by which they banned female students from taking university entrance exams this year in all public and private universities, media reports said on Sunday.

In a fresh announcement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education,which is currently run by Taliban insurgents since capturing the control of the nation in 2021, has announced a complete ban on female students’ enrollment in educational institutions effective from Saturday, January 28, 2023, reports Khaama Press.

The statement reads that private universities are requested to adhere to the rule and regulations of the ruling regime and avoid violating the latest decree restricting the admission of female students in private universities, otherwise, they will be penalized accordingly.

The Taliban insurgents have announced several measures to ban women from education and deprived them from several rights since coming to power.

Barring girls and young women from classrooms in Afghanistan could wipe out huge gains made in education and create “a lost generation”, the UN’s educational and cultural organization, UNESCO, had earlier warned. 

The agency announced on Thursday that it was dedicating the International Day of Education on 24 January, to the country’s women and girls.

“No country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education. Education is a universal human right that must be respected,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay. 

“The international community has the responsibility to ensure that the rights of Afghan girls and women are restored without delay. The war against women must stop,” she added.