Washington: In response to the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan, the United States has banned the issuance of visas to both current and former Taliban militants, among other people, according to a statement from Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday.
“Today I am announcing a visa restriction policy… to restrict the issuance of visas for current or former Taliban members, members of non-state security groups, and other individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, repressing women and girls in Afghanistan through restrictive policies and violence.” He further asserted on the International Day of the Girl Child.
As a sombre illustration, Blinken stated that “Afghanistan continues to be the only country in the world where girls are systemically prohibited from continuing their education past the sixth grade.”
Girls are not allowed to attend secondary school, according to the hardline Taliban, who took control of the country in August 2021 after the withdrawal of American-led forces. However, women are welcome to enroll at universities.
Several pupils were murdered and injured in a recent suicide explosion in a Kabul classroom while they studied for tests. According to the UN, fifty-three people died, including forty-six girls and young women.
At a gender-segregated study hall full of hundreds of students taking a practice exam for university entrance, the bomber detonated himself near the women.
Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, listed the behaviors that are prohibited by US visa regulations as ending or restricting access to education for girls and women, blocking their employment, and limiting their freedom of movement, expression, or privacy.
