The union of private universities said that more than 40 private universities will be closed if the ban on female students will continue.

The union said that more than 5,000 employees of private universities have lost their jobs after the ban on female students that happened in December 2022.

“More than 40 owners of universities have told us that they will not have the financial capacity to continue their activities if the temporary decision of banning female students from attending universities continues for a long time. In this case they said they will be forced to close the doors of their universities,” said Mohammad Karim Nasiri, a press director of the union.

Some owners of private universities expressed their concerns over the situation and said they will have no option but to take their investment out of Afghanistan.

“Universities and major investments have caused an empowerment problem in the country. They usually stop their investment. Some of them will shift their investment and some of them will naturally collapse,” said Aziz Amir, founder of Mura educational complex in Kabul.

Meanwhile, a number of students and lecturers called on the Islamic Emirate to reopen universities for women.

“The closure of universities and higher education centers for women has not only affected the academic centers but also severely affected this sector economically,” said Fazal Hadi Wazeen, a university lecturer.

“Our call on the Islamic Emirate is to reopen universities for women and let them continue their education,” said Aisha, a student.

Based on the statistics of the union of private universities, 140 private universities are active in 24 provinces of the country. More than 25,000 people, including academic figures, are employed in the centers.