Taliban ban on university for women in Afghanistan a gross violation of human rights, Australian Government must act

Media Release

23 December 2022

Afghanistan-Australian Advocacy Network (AAAN) and Diaspora Advocacy Network for Afghanistan (DANA) condemn, in the strongest terms, the announcement on December 21, from the Taliban Ministry of Education, to indefinitely ban women from accessing universities across Afghanistan urging action from the Australian Government.  

Following this announcement, the Action for Afghanistan campaign calls on the Albanese Government to immediately provide an additional 20,000 emergency humanitarian places, and accelerate humanitarian visa as well as family reunification applications for people from Afghanistan. 

The ban on women's university education is a violation of fundamental human rights and a crime against humanity. This follows a ban on secondary schooling for women since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021 as well as increasing restrictions on women's participation in public. The Taliban's international legitimacy must be challenged while women are deprived of basic rights.

The suppression of women's rights is compounded by the escalating violence against religious minorities and ethnic groups such as Hazaras, as seen in the brutal September attack on Kaaj Academic Learning Centre in a predominantly Hazara neighbourhood of Kabul, killing over 50 young Hazara girls.

The Taliban's suppression of free speech, journalists, minority groups and women protesters is directly opposed to the aims of the Australian Government's 20-year-long mission in Afghanistan; there is a moral and ethical responsibility to act.

Over a year since the fall of Kabul, the Australian Government has still failed to register and acknowledge the over 200,000 people from Afghanistan who sought protection in Australia. The Government has also provided less than 6,500 protection visas in the year after the fall of Kabul refusing humanitarian visas for 1,162 people, this is compared to Canada welcoming around 20,000 people from Afghanistan and Germany around 26,000 over a similar period.

The Australian Government must also do more to expedite existing family and partner visa applications. Currently, 7,209 people from Afghanistan are waiting for their Partner Visa to be processed, with a current medium waiting time for visa processing over three years. This must be addressed and people must be brought to safety and reunited with loved ones.

Mariam Veiszadeh - CEO of Media Diversity Australia: “Education is a fundamental human right and the greatest equaliser. The Taliban’s latest move has devastating, life-changing consequences for not just the women of Afghanistan but for the whole nation, region and the world. We cannot stand idly by as the women of Afghanistan continue to pay the highest price as collateral damage of the West’s “war on terror”. 

Shabnam Safa - Chair at National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group: “Denying women access to education is stripping them of their agency, power and existence in society. This, in addition to banning secondary education for girls since day one of seizing control, is a calculated, systematic, and sickening approach by the Taliban towards the complete erasure of women from society. The international community has a responsibility towards Afghanistan, Australia has an obligation to act. We cannot stand by and allow this to happen on our watch.”

Sayed Rahmatullah Hussainizada - Human Rights Lawyer and Afghan Community Advocate: “To close the doors of education to a whole sector of the Afghan population, our sisters, is not only against the sheer principles of human rights, but such draconian acts even go against Islamic ideology. The Taliban, through their constant violation of human rights, has yet again shown that they have not changed and that they are as repressive as ever. The international community must act now in condemning the Taliban for their complete disregard for human rights.”

Lala Pordeli - Australian Lawyer: "The Taliban since their take over have waged war against the girls and women of Afghanistan. They have restricted their basic human rights from the right to learn to their day-to-day movements. Any progress made in the last twenty years has been stumped by the Taliban's extremist ideologies. Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world that has banned education for girls and women. We urge the international community, including Muslim community leaders and organisations, to condemn the Taliban's indefensible decision." 

Saajeda Samaa Co-Founder of DANA and Human Rights Activist: “The International Community and Human Rights organisations need to wake up to the calls of women of Afghanistan. The ban on women's education is not only on students but female teachers are asked to stay home too. The Taliban call this ban “A National Interest” what common sense would go along with disabling more than half of the population of a nation for “national interest”? Women of Afghanistan are protesting alone for justice without any protection and support. They are assaulted, humiliated and abducted by the Taliban soldiers. The international community and Human Rights Organisations need to help them now”

Barat Ali Batoor - Photographer, Filmmaker and Human Rights Advocate - Asylum Seeker Resource Centre: “The ban on women’s education doesn’t come as a surprise because we always knew the Taliban have not changed. Taliban will do everything they did during their first rule in Afghanistan including a ban on women’s education, public flogging and execution and targeting of the Hazaras and religious minorities. Women are one of the most at risk groups in Afghanistan and being from different ethnic groups such as the Hazaras adds to their vulnerability. The Hazara students have been constantly under attack during the two decades of broken democracy and now under the Taliban even more.”

Media Contact

 Arif

afgausadvocacynetwork@gmail.com

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