<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">The Taliban have announced the closure of universities to women in Afghanistan, according to a letter by the higher education minister.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The minister says the move is until further notice. It is expected to take effect immediately.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It further restricts women's access to formal education, as they were already excluded from most secondary schools.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One Kabul University student told the BBC she had been crying since she heard the news.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three months ago thousands of girls and women sat university entrance exams across Afghanistan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But sweeping restrictions were imposed on the subjects they could study, with veterinary science, engineering, economics and agriculture off limits and journalism severely restricted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the Taliban takeover last year, universities introduced gender segregated classrooms and entrances.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Female students could only be taught by women professors or old men.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Responding to the latest ban, a female university student told the BBC she thought the Taliban were scared of women and their power.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"They destroyed the only bridge that could connect me with my future," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"How can I react? I believed that I could study and change my future or bring the light to my life but they destroyed it."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Afghanistan's education sector was badly affected after the Taliban takeover and there has been an exodus of trained academics after the withdrawal of US-led forces last year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another woman spoke about "too many difficulties" just trying to continue her education after the Taliban takeover.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She told the BBC: "We fought with our brothers, with our fathers, with society and even with the government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We went through a hard situation just to be able to continue our education.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"At that time at least I was happy that I could graduate from university and achieve my dreams. But, now how can I convince myself?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Afghanistan's economy has been largely dependent on foreign aid in recent decades, but aid agencies have partly - and in some cases fully - withdrawn support to the education sector after the Taliban refused to allow girls into secondary schools.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many of the teaching staff who remain go unpaid for months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The latest measures are likely to cause further concerns in the international community.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The US and other Western countries have made improvements to female education in Afghanistan a prior condition for the formal recognition of the Taliban government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">US Deputy UN Ambassador Robert Wood condemned the Taliban's latest actions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all Afghans," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Especially the human rights and fundamental freedom of women and girls."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In November, the authorities banned women from parks in the capital Kabul, claiming Islamic laws were not being followed there.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>Issue splits Taliban</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Analysis by Yogita Limaye, BBC South Asia correspondent</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There has been speculation for over a month now that the Taliban government would ban university education for women.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One female student predicted it a few weeks ago. "One day we will wake up and they will say girls are banned from universities," she had said. And so while many Afghans might have expected that sooner or later this decision would be taken, it still comes as a shock.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last month women were barred from parks, gyms and swimming pools. In March this year, the Taliban government did not deliver on its commitment to open secondary schools for girls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From conversations with Taliban leaders over the past year, it is evident that there is disagreement within the Taliban on the issue of girls' education.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Off the record, some Taliban members have repeatedly said they are hopeful and working to try and ensure girls get an education.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Girls were allowed to sit for graduation exams for secondary schools two weeks ago, in 31 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, even though they haven't been allowed to be in school for more than a year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That provided a glimmer of hope, which has now been extinguished. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>