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Afghan women return to universities for first time since Taliban takeover

Afghanistan
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Women have returned to universities that were closed when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year.

The Taliban immediately faced international pressure after it began preventing girls 12 and older from attending school.

The Taliban had told the international community that it was preventing older girls from going to school until a "safe learning environment" could be established.

According to Al Jazeera, universities in Laghman, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nimroz, Farah and Helmand provinces opened Wednesday.

"It's a moment of joy for us that our classes have started," Zarlashta Haqmal, who studies at Nangarhar University, told AFP.

Despite the joy, Haqmal said she is still concerned that the Taliban will shut down the schools.

"We are still worried that the Taliban might stop them," she said.

Reopening schools is an important step for the Taliban. The new government has been shut out from most of the international community over issues concerning human rights.

According to AFP, the Taliban was pressed by Western officials last week to improve the rights of women in exchange for billions of dollars in frozen assets and foreign aid.