Dozens of Afghan women protest the ban on access to university education

ISLAMABAD, 24 Dic. (DPA/EP) -

Dozens of people, mostly girls and women students, have taken to the streets of the city of Herat, in Afghanistan, in protest against the ban on access to university education imposed by the Taliban authorities.

The attendees have chanted chants such as "education is our right" and have gathered around the provincial Government Office, according to a protester told the German agency DPA.

The Taliban authorities have tried to suppress the rally and have used water cannons, beating some participants with sticks and batons, according to the testimony of another participant.

Some videos recorded in the area show a fire truck throwing water, presumably mixed with chemicals, against the attendees.

The Taliban authorities decreed in the middle of the week the prohibition of access to university studies for women in the country, a decision that has aroused criticism from a large part of the international community, including a large part of the Islamic world.

The Ministry of Higher Education has justified the ban on the grounds that female students generally did not respect dress codes, attended class without the company of male relatives, and mixed with male students.

Since the Taliban took over the Afghan government in August last year, women's participation in public life has been reduced to a minimum, while access to education has also been greatly restricted.