The Taliban government has removed books written by women from the university teaching system in Afghanistan as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment.
Some 140 books by women - including titles like 'Safety in the Chemical Laboratory' - were among 680 books found to be of 'concern' due to 'anti-Sharia and Taliban policies'.
The universities were further told they were no longer allowed to teach 18 subjects, with a Taliban official saying they were 'in conflict with the principles of Sharia and the system's policy'.
This decree is the latest in a series of restrictions which the Taliban has imposed since returning to power four years ago. Just this week, fibre-optic internet was banned in at least 10 provinces on the orders of the Taliban's supreme leader to prevent immorality.
Women and girls have faced the brunt of these rules, being barred from education above the sixth grade. Following the closure of midwifery courses at the end of 2024, their options for further training dwindled significantly.
Now, six of the 18 banned subjects are specifically related to women, including Gender and Development and Women's Sociology.
A member of the committee reviewing the books confirmed the ban, telling BBC Afghan that 'all books authored by women are not allowed to be taught'.
Zakia Adeli, a former deputy minister of justice and author of some banned books, expressed her unsurprise, stating that it aligns with the Taliban's ongoing suppression of women's rights.
The Taliban claims it respects women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law.
The new guidelines, issued in late August, include more than just bans on women's works. Books by Iranian authors or publishers have also been targeted to prevent what officials describe as 'infiltration of Iranian content' into the Afghan academic curriculum. Out of 679 titles banned, 310 are tied to Iranian writers or publishers.
Professors are expressing concern over the significant academic gap this creates, as books by Iranian authors are regarded as essential links to the global academic community. They now face the challenge of teaching their subjects in a vacuum, relying on self-prepared materials that may not meet global standards.
As this situation unfolds, many are left questioning the future of education under Taliban rule and the fate of women's contributions to academia.
