The foreign ministers of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday urged the Afghan Taliban to “ensure the importance of women’s rights as well as the full and equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life”.
UAE’s top diplomat and foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari discussed the developments in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s decision to ban the education of girls and women in the country’s universities during a telephone call.
Both leaders emphasized that Islam has given women a privileged position, and protected their rights.
“They reaffirmed the need to guarantee women’s rights, as well as the importance of the full and equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
During the phone call, both the foreign ministers also emphasized their strong stand in support of security, stability and peace in Afghanistan. He also called for advancing international efforts to build a more sustainable future for the Afghan people.
Taliban banned girls’ university education.
On December 20, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Ministry of Higher Education suspended female students’ access to universities until further notice, drawing strong condemnation from the United States, Britain and the United Nations.
A letter, confirmed by a spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, directed Afghan public and private universities to immediately suspend access to female students, in accordance with the cabinet’s decision.
The announcement by the Taliban administration, which was not recognized internationally, came as the United Nations Security Council met in New York on Afghanistan.
Foreign governments, including the United States, have said that policies on women’s education need to change before they can consider formally recognizing the Taliban-run administration, which is subject to heavy sanctions.
Pakistan urged the Taliban to withdraw the decision.
Condemning the decision to suspend university and higher education for female students in Afghanistan, Pakistan urged the Afghan authorities to reconsider the decision.
“Pakistan is disappointed to learn of the suspension of university and higher education for female students in Afghanistan,” an official Foreign Office statement read, adding that Pakistan’s position on the matter has been “clear and consistent.”
“Every man and woman has the inherent right to receive education in accordance with the injunctions of Islam,” the FO added.
Female university students in Afghanistan were kicked off campuses on Wednesday after the Taliban-run administration said women would be barred from tertiary education.
The decision to ban women was announced in a letter written by the chief minister to universities on Tuesday evening, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations.
