Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have banned university education for women nationwide, provoking outrage and condemnation from people across the world. On Wednesday, hundreds of young women were stopped by armed guards from entering Afghan university campuses. Shocked by the mandate, young men and women are now protesting the regressive decision through powerful posts on social media, using the #LetHerLearn.
Several other videos capturing the fear and pain of female students have surfaced on Twitter, breaking people's hearts. Students lamented how their dreams had been shattered by the announcement and spoke about their anguish. One such video showed female students weeping in a classroom a day after Afghanistan's dictat.
Meanwhile, the hashtag “LetHerLearn” and ''LetAfghanGirlsLearn'' have become global sensations with people using them to express their support for the right of Afghan girls and women to education.
Here are some posts:
Some women even staged protests in the capital Kabul. A group of 50 women dressed in hijabs were also seen on Thursday for a peaceful protest march against the move, chanting slogans against the ban.
However, the small demonstrations were quickly shut down by Taliban officials, while some women were arrested.
The ban on higher education comes less than three months after thousands of girls and women were allowed to sit for university entrance exams across the country, with many aspiring to choose teaching and medicine as future careers. Most teenage girls across the country have already been banned from secondary school, severely limiting university intake anyway.
The Taliban had promised a softer rule after seizing power last year following the US' withdrawal from the country. However, the hardline Islamists have ratcheted up restrictions on all aspects of women's lives, ignoring international outrage.
