UN envoy meets with Afghan higher-ed chief over ban on women

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.N. says one of its top officials has met with the Taliban-led government’s higher education minister, who ordered a ban on women in Afghan universities last month. The minister says the ban is necessary to prevent the mixing of genders in universities and because he believes some subjects violate Islamic principles. There is also a ban on Afghan women working for national and international nongovernmental groups. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Saturday the U.N. special envoy called for the urgent lifting of these bans in his meeting as the country is entering a new period of crisis.