Afghan women protest in Kabul against Taliban's university ban

A small group of Afghan women have staged a defiant protest in Kabul against a Taliban order banning them from universities, an activist said, adding that some were arrested.

"They expelled women from universities. Oh, the respected people, support, support. Rights for everyone or no one!" chanted the protesters as they rallied in a Kabul neighbourhood on Thursday, footage obtained by AFP news agency showed.

In the latest move to restrict human rights in Afghanistan, the Taliban's minister for higher education on Tuesday ordered all public and private universities to bar women from attending.

A protester at the rally on Thursday told AFP "some of the girls" had been arrested by women police officers. 

Two were released, but several remained in custody, she added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Around two dozen women dressed in hijabs, some wearing masks, could be seen raising their hands and chanting slogans as they marched through the streets.

The women had initially planned to gather in front of Kabul University, the country's biggest and most prestigious educational institution, but changed locations after the authorities deployed a large number of security personnel there.

READ MORE: Taliban effectively bans girls from schools, scraps women’s ministry

International condemnations

Tuesday's announcement triggered international outrage, with the United States, the United Nations and several Muslim nations denouncing it.

Türkiye rejects and is “saddened” by the new ban on higher education for young women in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"What harm does women's education do to Afghanistan, and what is the benefit of this ban? ... Our religion Islam is not against education, on the contrary, it supports education.

"We expect the Taliban to abandon this decision. Türkiye will continue to provide education and scholarships to our Afghan sisters," Cavusoglu added.

The ban caused disbelief, coming less than three months after thousands were allowed to sit for university entrance exams.

Taliban's restrictions on public

Since seizing power, the Taliban have imposed many restrictions on women.

Most teenage girls are barred from secondary school, women have been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa.

They are also not allowed to enter parks or gardens.

The Taliban have returned to public floggings of men and women in recent weeks, widening their implementation of an extreme interpretation of Islamic law.

The Supreme Court said that 44 people -- including six women -- were flogged in Badakshan and Uruzgan provinces on Thursday after being found guilty of various offences.

READ MORE: Afghanistan: Taliban suspends university education for women