US in touch with allies over ban of Taliban-run institutions for Afghan girls

The United States is in touch with allies over the decision by Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher for female students until further notice, the White House said.

“The United States condemns the Taliban’s indefensible decision to prevent Afghan women from receiving a university-level education,” National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also “deeply alarmed” by the Taliban’s ban on women in universities, his spokesman said Tuesday, as he urged authorities in Afghanistan to “ensure equal access to education at all levels.”

“The secretary-general reiterates that the denial of education not only violates the equal rights of women and girls, but will have a devastating impact on the country’s future,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.