Last week the Taliban started to enforce its prohibition on women’s education. In response, the United Nations Security Council released a statement denouncing the Taliban-led administration’s actions.

The Taliban’s ban on women’s education “represents an increasing erosion for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms” said the 15-member council via a released statement.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres says that the ban amounts to a human rights violation.

The latest restrictions by the Taliban on employment & education of women & girls are unjustifiable human rights violations & must be revoked.

Actions to exclude & silence women & girls continue to cause immense suffering & major setbacks to the potential of the Afghan people.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) December 27, 2022

This comes on the heels of the Taliban-led government also banning female aid workers from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This particular ban has led several humanitarian groups to stop their work in the country all together which could exacerbate the situation for citizens in need even more.

The Taliban have never treated women equally to men but during the United States occupation of Afghanistan women had significantly more rights and many of them were able to pursue education.

The Taliban are accustomed to foreign pressure and are unlikely to alter their stance due to a United Nations statement but it does signal a stance from the international community which sometimes leads to more tangible actions down the road.