The Afghan Taliban has ordered the removal of books written by women from the country’s university teaching system, as part of new restrictions that also block the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment. The move is part of a broader education crackdown that has continued since the Taliban returned to power four years ago.
According to officials, a total of 680 books have been flagged as “concerning” for being against Sharia and Taliban policies. Among them are around 140 books authored by women, including academic works such as Safety in the Chemical Laboratory. Universities were also informed that 18 subjects can no longer be taught, six of which focus directly on women, including Gender and Development, The Role of Women in Communication, and Women’s Sociology.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education stated that these decisions were made by a committee of religious scholars. Ziaur Rahman Aryubi, deputy academic director of the ministry, confirmed the orders were issued in late August. Members of the review committee told BBC Afghan that all books written by women are now banned from being taught.
The ban also appears to target Iranian authors and publishers. Out of 679 restricted titles, more than 300 were either written by Iranian scholars or published in Iran. Taliban officials said the step was taken to prevent “Iranian influence” in Afghanistan’s curriculum. Relations between the two neighbors have remained tense over water rights and border disputes, with Iran also expelling over 1.5 million Afghans this year.
The decision has raised alarm within Afghanistan’s academic circles. A Kabul University professor, speaking anonymously, said the ban would leave a major gap in education since books by Iranian writers were often Afghanistan’s only link to international academic research. Lecturers fear that preparing alternative study materials under Taliban guidelines will not meet global academic standards.
Women and girls in Afghanistan remain the most affected by Taliban restrictions. They are barred from schooling beyond grade six and will lose another opportunity for training in 2024 when midwifery courses are expected to be discontinued. Former deputy minister Zakia Adeli, whose books were banned, said the move reflects the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to silence women’s voices in education and public life.
