Today NAFSA: Association of International Educators issued the following statement addressing the announcement by Afghanistan's Taliban-run higher education ministry to ban access to universities by female students:
NAFSA strongly condemns the Taliban's ban on Afghan women attending universities. Access to higher education is a fundamental right and an investment in peace and economic growth. Congress should act immediately by expanding dual intent to Afghan women seeking a student visa to study in the U.S. and by providing Afghan women already here the opportunity to quickly apply for legal permanent residency status. The Biden administration should also quickly announce and implement a program allowing U.S. colleges and universities to sponsor Afghan refugee students.
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About NAFSA: Serving more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/press. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.nafsa.org/takeaction. Resources to guide our members on these issues can be found at www.nafsa.org/reginfo.