The Taliban government has removed all books written by women from the university system, as part of a legal initiative that also includes banning teaching on human rights and sexual harassment issues.
About 140 books written by women are among 680 titles that have been classified as "problematic", due to their content considered contrary to Sharia and Taliban policies.
Universities have also been notified that 18 subjects are no longer allowed to be taught, as according to a Taliban official, they "contradict the principles of Sharia and the political stances of the system."
This is just the latest decision in a long line of restrictions the Taliban have imposed since their return to power four years ago.
This week alone, at least 10 provinces have banned fiber optic networks, on orders from the Taliban's supreme leader, on the grounds that this action would help "prevent immorality."
These restrictions have significantly impacted the daily lives of women and girls in Afghanistan. They are banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade, and midwifery courses, one of the few fields previously allowed, were discontinued at the end of 2024.
Now, university programs related to women are also being targeted. Of the 18 banned subjects, six are directly related to gender issues, such as “Gender and Development,” “The Role of Women in Communication,” and “Sociology of Women.”
Despite this, the Taliban government continues to claim that it “respects women’s rights” in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.
A member of the university's book evaluation committee confirmed the ban to BBC Afghan, saying that "all books written by women are no longer allowed to be used for teaching."
The new guidelines were issued in late August, and come from a committee made up of "religious scholars and experts," according to a letter from the Taliban government's Ministry of Higher Education.
In addition to books by women, the ban also affects books by Iranian authors. A committee member said the aim is to “prevent the infiltration of Iranian content” into the Afghan education system.
A 50-page list distributed to universities contains 679 titles, of which 310 were written by Iranian authors or published in Iran.
Various sources confirmed to BBC Afghan that the ban is part of efforts to curb Iran's cultural and ideological influence in Afghanistan.
