<p>Afghanistan's men have also joined the protest against the Taliban's decision to ban women from pursuing higher education. Male students at Afghanistan's Nangarhar University walked out of their exams in solidarity with their female peers. Videos of universities stopping female students from entering classrooms have taken over the internet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Male university students have walked out of their exam in protest against Taliban’s decision to BAN female students from university education.<br />
<br />
Several male professors have also resigned so far.<br />
<br />
This must happen across the country NOW!<a href="https://t.co/kvvsQdchSu">pic.twitter.com/kvvsQdchSu</a></p>
— Shabnam Nasimi (@NasimiShabnam) <a href="https://twitter.com/NasimiShabnam/status/1605484208276717569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>To join the protest, the university's male professors have also resigned. Obaidullah Wardak, a professor who served at Kabul University for 10 years, has resigned from his post.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Tuesday, the Taliban's higher education ministry declared that Afghanistan's women would not be allowed to pursue education with immediate effect. The decision enraged students from universities across Afghanistan.</p>

<p>Women across Afghanistan are protesting on the streets against the decision. A group of female students from Kabul University marched outside the institution, chanting 'either everyone or no one.'&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Kandahar, a university denied their female students to sit for their final examinations.&nbsp;Furthermore, universities in Afghanistan have forcefully dismissed female students from their dormitories. Footages also show women being escorted out of the classroom while male students write their examinations.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Kandahar, girls are devastated as they are not allowed to participate in university exams while boys sit in the classroom. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerLearn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerLearn</a> <a href="https://t.co/KWWSzF54Jv">pic.twitter.com/KWWSzF54Jv</a></p>
— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HabibKhanT/status/1605465329269972992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taliban has banned women from travelling without a male relative or entering gyms and parks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Taliban's barbaric and backward policies have drawn global attention. Afghans have launched a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #letherlearn. People across the world have made thousands of tweets in support of Afghanistan's women.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Habib Khan, the founder of Afghan Peace Watch, shared a video and tweeted, "Extremely sad and distressing to see these girls cry as they hear that they will no longer be able to continue their studies at the university. Stand with these women and girls of Afghanistan against the Taliban."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Kandahar, girls are devastated as they are not allowed to participate in university exams while boys sit in the classroom. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerLearn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerLearn</a> <a href="https://t.co/KWWSzF54Jv">pic.twitter.com/KWWSzF54Jv</a></p>
— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HabibKhanT/status/1605465329269972992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rashid Khan, former captain of Afghanistan's cricket team, tweeted, "Acquiring knowledge is a must. There is no doubt that women make up half of society."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Afghanistan's men have also joined the protest against the Taliban's decision to ban women from pursuing higher education. Male students at Afghanistan's Nangarhar University walked out of their exams in solidarity with their female peers.

Afghanistan's men have also joined the protest against the Taliban's decision to ban women from pursuing higher education. Male students at Afghanistan's Nangarhar University walked out of their exams in solidarity with their female peers. Videos of universities stopping female students from entering classrooms have taken over the internet. Male university students have walked out of their exam in protest against Taliban’s decision to BAN female students from university education. Several male professors have also resigned so far. This must happen across the country NOW!pic.twitter.com/kvvsQdchSu — Shabnam Nasimi (@NasimiShabnam) December 21, 2022 × To join the protest, the university's male professors have also resigned. Obaidullah Wardak, a professor who served at Kabul University for 10 years, has resigned from his post. On Tuesday, the Taliban's higher education ministry declared that Afghanistan's women would not be allowed to pursue education with immediate effect. The decision enraged students from universities across Afghanistan. Women across Afghanistan are protesting on the streets against the decision. A group of female students from Kabul University marched outside the institution, chanting 'either everyone or no one.' In Kandahar, a university denied their female students to sit for their final examinations. Furthermore, universities in Afghanistan have forcefully dismissed female students from their dormitories. Footages also show women being escorted out of the classroom while male students write their examinations. In Kandahar, girls are devastated as they are not allowed to participate in university exams while boys sit in the classroom. #LetHerLearn pic.twitter.com/KWWSzF54Jv — Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) December 21, 2022 × Taliban has banned women from travelling without a male relative or entering gyms and parks. Taliban's barbaric and backward policies have drawn global attention. Afghans have launched a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #letherlearn. People across the world have made thousands of tweets in support of Afghanistan's women. Habib Khan, the founder of Afghan Peace Watch, shared a video and tweeted, "Extremely sad and distressing to see these girls cry as they hear that they will no longer be able to continue their studies at the university. Stand with these women and girls of Afghanistan against the Taliban." In Kandahar, girls are devastated as they are not allowed to participate in university exams while boys sit in the classroom. #LetHerLearn pic.twitter.com/KWWSzF54Jv — Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) December 21, 2022 × Rashid Khan, former captain of Afghanistan's cricket team, tweeted, "Acquiring knowledge is a must. There is no doubt that women make up half of society." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

WATCH| Male students walk out of exam halls as Taliban ban university education for Afghan women

<p>About 95 miles east of Kabul, at a university in Jalalabad, a senior University official with a reputation of always speaking up without a piece of paper came with "his notes" on December 21. Over 100 female students sat in the university auditorium awaiting the words that were to be uttered. The university official first recited a verse from The Quran, which says that the first word Allah revealed to Prophet Mohammed was 'Iqra', literally meaning 'read'.</p>

<p>The downcast announcement followed. That the girls are no more to be educated.</p>

<p>“We are in touch with high-ranking profiles in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. We will do our best to ensure your final exams are conducted. But until further orders, we have been told that you cannot attend university,” the official announced.</p>

<p>Among the attendants was Sana Siddiqui (21). In the eighth semester of her Law and Political Science undergraduate course.</p>

<p>Until December 21, Sana was just three exams short of earning herself a coveted university degree.<br aria-hidden="true" />
<br aria-hidden="true" />
Not anymore.</p>

<p>Despite having known from the news hours ago about the Taliban government's ban on women's university education, Sana and her batchmates from the eighth semester had a glimmer of hope.</p>

<p>"We thought that at least we will be allowed to appear in our remaining final exams," Sana told WION in a phone conversation from Jalalabad.</p>

<p>The announcement from the top university official shattered what was left of Sana and her batchmates' collective hopes.</p>

<p>"One of the girls lost consciousness. Everybody else began to cry. It was a wave of emotions in the auditorium knowing that this was the last chance we were seeing our university and classmates," Sana told WION.</p>

<p>"But we knew this was coming. When the school education was taken away from young Afghan girls, we knew we were next," Sana added, referring to the ban on secondary education for girls in Afghanistan that the Taliban imposed in September 2021, a month after taking over Kabul's power corridors.</p>

<p>Sana's story resonated with Nargis (34), a former teacher who taught History and Geography to female students in grades 7 and 8 in a Jalalabad school until September last year.&nbsp;<img alt="File image of Afghan girls studying a middle school | AFP" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3fd22b8b-7182-4145-a161-88bc3fdbf0f2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Afghan%20girls.jpg" /></p>

<p>Nargis told WION it was the "worst day of my life" when three Taliban officials paid a visit to the school where she taught.</p>

<p>The hardliners ordered teachers to inform students inside classrooms to not attend school "until further orders".</p>

<p>"One of my Class 7 girls raised her hand and asked, 'Ma'am, is it closed for boys as well'?," Nargis told WION in Persian.</p>

<p>"She looked at me and I had no answer. She realised that it was closed just for the girls. She was inconsolably crying," added Nargis.<img alt="File image of Afghan women protesting in front of the Ministry of Education in Kabul" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0ebd5a26-8059-4725-8398-ca71e0ca682e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Afghan_girls.jpg" /></p>

<p>Despite WION offering Sana and Nargis anonymity, they insisted to be named, perhaps as a show of protest and defiance against the repressive regime.</p>

<p>"We can only request the international community and our higher education minister to allow our girls to be back in the schools and colleges. There was never a time as helpless as this," Nargis said.</p>

<p><b>Questions on Taliban's double standards on education</b></p>

<p>Zareena, 24, (name withheld to protect identity) graduated to become a lawyer in 2020 from a state university.</p>

<p>"When Taliban came to power, they removed virtually everything that was to do with law," Zareena told WION from a Kabul suburb, pointing out to Taliban's deliberate dismantling of the law and advocacy sector that existed in Afghanistan prior to August 2021.</p>

<p>Zareena said she enrolled herself in a diploma course at Kabul Center Institute months before the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>On December 21, when the ban on women's higher education was announced, Zareena was due to appear in an exam at Silo Road in Kabul.</p>

<p>"I cannot pursue my goals and ambitions because of the Taliban," Zareena said, adding that she once dreamt of studying outside Afghanistan. “I wanted to come back and serve my country with my knowledge of law,” she said.</p>

<p>In Afghanistan, the December-January period is usually known as the 'winter of exams' among students.</p>

<p>"For girls, winter is all that is left in this period," Zareena said. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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About 95 miles east of Kabul, at a university in Jalalabad, a senior University official with a reputation of always speaking up without a piece of paper came with "his notes" on December 21.

About 95 miles east of Kabul, at a university in Jalalabad, a senior University official with a reputation of always speaking up without a piece of paper came with "his notes" on December 21. Over 100 female students sat in the university auditorium awaiting the words that were to be uttered. The university official first recited a verse from The Quran, which says that the first word Allah revealed to Prophet Mohammed was 'Iqra', literally meaning 'read'. The downcast announcement followed. That the girls are no more to be educated. “We are in touch with high-ranking profiles in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. We will do our best to ensure your final exams are conducted. But until further orders, we have been told that you cannot attend university,” the official announced. Among the attendants was Sana Siddiqui (21). In the eighth semester of her Law and Political Science undergraduate course. Until December 21, Sana was just three exams short of earning herself a coveted university degree. Not anymore. Despite having known from the news hours ago about the Taliban government's ban on women's university education, Sana and her batchmates from the eighth semester had a glimmer of hope. "We thought that at least we will be allowed to appear in our remaining final exams," Sana told WION in a phone conversation from Jalalabad. The announcement from the top university official shattered what was left of Sana and her batchmates' collective hopes. "One of the girls lost consciousness. Everybody else began to cry. It was a wave of emotions in the auditorium knowing that this was the last chance we were seeing our university and classmates," Sana told WION. "But we knew this was coming. When the school education was taken away from young Afghan girls, we knew we were next," Sana added, referring to the ban on secondary education for girls in Afghanistan that the Taliban imposed in September 2021, a month after taking over Kabul's power corridors. Sana's story resonated with Nargis (34), a former teacher who taught History and Geography to female students in grades 7 and 8 in a Jalalabad school until September last year. Nargis told WION it was the "worst day of my life" when three Taliban officials paid a visit to the school where she taught. The hardliners ordered teachers to inform students inside classrooms to not attend school "until further orders". "One of my Class 7 girls raised her hand and asked, 'Ma'am, is it closed for boys as well'?," Nargis told WION in Persian. "She looked at me and I had no answer. She realised that it was closed just for the girls. She was inconsolably crying," added Nargis. Despite WION offering Sana and Nargis anonymity, they insisted to be named, perhaps as a show of protest and defiance against the repressive regime. "We can only request the international community and our higher education minister to allow our girls to be back in the schools and colleges. There was never a time as helpless as this," Nargis said. Questions on Taliban's double standards on education Zareena, 24, (name withheld to protect identity) graduated to become a lawyer in 2020 from a state university. "When Taliban came to power, they removed virtually everything that was to do with law," Zareena told WION from a Kabul suburb, pointing out to Taliban's deliberate dismantling of the law and advocacy sector that existed in Afghanistan prior to August 2021. Zareena said she enrolled herself in a diploma course at Kabul Center Institute months before the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan. On December 21, when the ban on women's higher education was announced, Zareena was due to appear in an exam at Silo Road in Kabul. "I cannot pursue my goals and ambitions because of the Taliban," Zareena said, adding that she once dreamt of studying outside Afghanistan. “I wanted to come back and serve my country with my knowledge of law,” she said. In Afghanistan, the December-January period is usually known as the 'winter of exams' among students. "For girls, winter is all that is left in this period," Zareena said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Afghan women speak to WION as Taliban dismantle their right to education, campus after campus

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WATCH| Male students walk out of exam halls as Taliban ban university education for Afghan women

Afghan women speak to WION as Taliban dismantle their right to education, campus after campus