Taliban use water cannon on women protesting education order in Afghanistan - CNN

CNN  — 

A radical of women took to the streets successful the metropolis of Herat successful Afghanistan connected Saturday, protesting against a Taliban bid this week suspending each pistillate students from attending university successful the country.

Video footage circulating connected societal media showed Taliban officials utilizing a h2o cannon to disperse the pistillate protesters.

Girls could beryllium seen moving from the h2o cannon and chanting “cowards” astatine officials.

The Taliban’s announcement this week that it was suspending assemblage education for pistillate students was its latest measurement successful an ongoing clampdown connected the freedoms of Afghan women.

The determination came contempt the radical promising erstwhile it returned to powerfulness past twelvemonth that it would grant women’s rights.

It follows a akin determination successful March this twelvemonth that barred girls from returning to secondary schools.

Male students successful universities crossed the state person responded to the latest acquisition prohibition by boycotting their exams successful protest.

“Education is the work of men and women,” work a connection from the Mirwais Nika Institute of Higher Education successful Kandahar issued Saturday. “It is the cardinal close and concealed of the country’s improvement and self-reliance.”

Students had archetypal asked Taliban officials to reverse the prohibition but “no affirmative response” was given, the schoolhouse said – adding that “dissatisfaction and unhappiness” fueled the boycott.

One assemblage authoritative told CNN that the students’ determination to boycott their admissions exams would pb to classes being enactment connected hold.

The Taliban returned to powerfulness successful Afghanistan successful August 2021 successful a lightning takeover pursuing the withdrawal of US troops, having antecedently ruled the state from 1996 until 2001 – erstwhile the US-led penetration forced the radical from power.

Under its erstwhile play of regularisation the radical was notorious for its attraction of women arsenic second-class citizens.

After seizing powerfulness past year, the radical made galore promises that it would support the rights of women and girls.

But activists accidental the Taliban person reneged connected their connection and are steadily chipping distant astatine women’s freedoms erstwhile again.

On Saturday, the radical ordered each section and planetary non-governmental organizations (NGOs) successful the state to halt pistillate employees from attending work. Non-compliance would effect successful the revoking of NGO licenses, an authoritative ministry announcement read.

A spokesperson told CNN the determination was owed to the non-observation of Islamic formal rules and different laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate.

Afghan women tin nary longer enactment successful astir sectors.

Their question rights person besides been severely restricted and entree to nationalist spaces importantly curtailed. Women are besides required to afloat screen themselves successful nationalist – including their faces.