Taliban ban books written by women in universities as it overhaul education system

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has removed books written by women from university library shelves, effectively meaning that they would not be part of the teaching system under the new rules of education.

Around 140 books authored by women, including titles like “Safety in the Chemical Laboratory”, are among the 680 other texts that have been found to be of “concern” due to “anti-Sharia and Taliban policies”.

The government has also suspended as many as 18 subjects from the university syllabus as they were deemed “in conflict with the principles of Sharia and the system’s policy”.

While the new rules have affected many aspects of life, women and girls have been especially impacted. They are banned from education beyond the sixth grade, and in late 2024, one of their few remaining paths to further training was closed when midwifery courses were quietly shut down.

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Subjects also targeted

Women have been suffering under the Taliban administration from all walks of life. In terms of university education, too, subjects related to women have been targeted. Six of the 18 banned courses, including Gender and Development, The Role of Women in Communication, and Women’s Sociology, have been banned.

Ziaur Rahman Aryubi, Deputy Academic Director at the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, stated in a letter to universities that a panel made the decisions of “religious scholars and experts.”

Taliban extends internet crackdown

Taliban authorities expanded their crackdown on internet access Wednesday, severing fibre optic connections in multiple provinces in what officials said was a campaign against “vice”.

The move, ordered by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, has effectively shut down high-speed internet in several regions over two days, leaving tens of thousands without access and sparking concern among locals.

In northern Balkh province, fibre optic internet was completely banned on the leader’s orders, provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said Tuesday.

“This measure was taken to prevent vice, and alternative options will be put in place across the country to meet connectivity needs,” he wrote on X.

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With inputs from agencies