Academic Apartheid: How the Taliban is Dismantling Higher Education in Afghanistan

The Taliban has issued a new decree banning books written by women from Afghan universities. This latest restriction is part of a broader, systematic effort to erase women's voices and presence from public and academic life. The ban reportedly includes at least 140 books authored by women and is part of a review that has blacklisted a total of 679 titles, which also includes books on human rights, women's studies, and Western political thought.

A Blow to Education and Rights

The move has been widely condemned by international bodies and human rights organizations as a grave violation of women's rights and a blow to the country's education system. The ban extends to books from all fields of study, effectively removing the intellectual and scholarly contributions of women from the official curriculum. The Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education stated that the books were banned because they "conflict with Islamic Sharia principles and the policies of the Islamic Emirate." However, critics argue this is a part of their misogynistic ideology, which seeks to confine women to the home and suppress their voices.

This ban is the latest in a series of severe restrictions imposed on women and girls since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. They have already banned girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and have barred women from universities, most jobs, and public spaces like parks and gyms. The removal of books written by women from university curricula is seen as a further step toward establishing a system of gender apartheid in the country.

Impact on the Academic Community

Professors and students have expressed deep concern over the ban, stating that it will "cripple" the country's higher education system. Universities are now tasked with the difficult and costly process of finding and acquiring replacement textbooks that meet the Taliban's new, strict criteria. This creates a significant void in academic resources and limits the scope of education for all students, not just women. The ban on courses like "Gender and Development" and "Human Rights" also signals the Taliban's intent to eliminate any form of critical thinking that challenges their rule and worldview.

International Condemnation and Future Outlook

The international community, including Muslim-majority countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has widely condemned the Taliban's education policies. UN Women's reports have shown that a vast majority of Afghans, including men, support girls' education, indicating that the Taliban's policies do not reflect the will of the general population. Despite the global outcry, the Taliban has remained firm, continuing to view women's rights as a domestic issue and resisting international pressure. The ban on books by female authors is a tragic escalation, further cementing the Taliban's commitment to systematically erasing women from the public sphere.