Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Women training as midwives and nurses in Afghanistan have told the BBC they were ordered not to return to classes in the morning – effectively closing off their last route to further education in the country. Five separate institutions across Afghanistan have also confirmed to the BBC that the Taliban had instructed them to close until further notice, with videos shared online showing students crying at the news. The BBC has yet to confirm the order officially with the Taliban government’s health ministry. However, the closure appears to be in line with the group’s wider policy on female education, which has seen teenage girls unable to access secondary and higher education since August 2021. The Taliban have repeatedly promised they would be readmitted to school once a number of issues were resolved — including ensuring the curriculum was ‘Islamic.'” (12/03/24)