The Taliban has officially banned women from going to university in Afghanistan

The Taliban has officially banned women from attending university in Afghanistan.

On December 20, the Taliban suspended the right for women to access university education, according to a letter from the Acting Minister for Higher Education.

"You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice,” said the letter signed by the minister for higher education," said Neda Mohammad Nadeed, as per The Guardian.

The minister added the new law would be enforced effective immediately.

United Nations (UN) Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ramiz Alakbarov said he was 'deeply concerned' for women across the country.

He tweeted: "@UNafghanistan is deeply concerned about the reported decision announced today to suspend university education for women. Education is a fundamental human right. A door closed to women's education is a door closed to the future of Afghanistan."

The move is already raising concern abroad.

As per CNN, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a briefing he believes the Taliban’s decision will further alienate them from the 'international community and deny them the legitimacy they desire'.

In response to the ban, one female student told BBC News that the extremist group was scared of women cultivating power, and this is their latest attempt to oppress them further.

"They destroyed the only bridge that could connect me with my future," she said.

"How can I react? I believed that I could study and change my future or bring the light to my life, but they destroyed it."

Another student told the outlet that she had been crying since the news was announced.

The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, promised to enforce softer rules after regaining power last year in August.

However, the Taliban has already cracked down on the freedoms of the public, with women's rights being severely restricted.

In March, the Islamic fundamentalist group prohibited women from attending secondary school just hours after reopening.

In the wake of their decision, US Ambassador Robert Wood echoed a similar sentiment to Price.

He said at the UN’s Security Council briefing: "[The] Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all Afghans, especially the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls."

He added: "We will continue to work with this Council to speak with one voice on this issue."