Taliban ban books written by women from Afghan universities

The Taliban government has removed all books authored by women from university curricula in Afghanistan, as part of a broader crackdown that also prohibits teaching human rights and sexual harassment, reports BBC.

Out of 680 books flagged for review, 140 titles written by women — including scientific texts such as Safety in the Chemical Laboratory — have been banned for allegedly violating Taliban ideology and Sharia principles. Authorities have also prohibited the teaching of 18 academic subjects, declaring them incompatible with the group's interpretation of Islamic law.

This latest restriction is part of a continued erosion of freedoms since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan four years ago. Recently, fibre-optic internet services were also shut down in at least 10 provinces under orders from the Taliban's supreme leader, reportedly to curb access to "immoral content."

The impact of these measures has been particularly harsh on Afghan women and girls. Education for girls has been banned beyond grade six, and in late 2024, midwifery courses — one of the few remaining training opportunities for women — were also quietly discontinued, reads the BBC report.

Now, even university subjects related to women have been explicitly targeted. Of the 18 banned subjects, six focus specifically on women's issues, such as Gender and Development, The Role of Women in Communication, and Women's Sociology.

Despite international criticism, Taliban officials maintain that their policies respect women's rights "within the framework" of Afghan culture and Islamic law.

A member of the Taliban's curriculum review committee confirmed to BBC Afghan that books authored by women are no longer permitted in higher education. "All books authored by women are not allowed to be taught," the official said.

Zakia Adeli, a former deputy justice minister before the Taliban's return and one of the affected authors, said she was not surprised. "Given the Taliban's track record over the past four years, changes to the curriculum were expected. Their misogynistic worldview means that if women cannot study, their ideas and writings must also be silenced."

The revised guidelines, issued in late August, were communicated to universities in a letter from Ziaur Rahman Aryubi, deputy academic director at the Ministry of Higher Education. He said the decisions were made by a panel of religious scholars and academic experts.

In addition to banning books by women, the Taliban also targeted content originating from Iran. Of the nearly 680 titles listed, 310 were either written by Iranian authors or published in Iran. A review panel member told the BBC this was to "prevent the infiltration of Iranian content" into Afghan academic discourse.

For many Afghan institutions, this has created a major challenge. Iranian texts have long been a crucial academic resource for Afghan universities, bridging the gap with international academia. Their removal, one professor warned, creates a "substantial void" in the education system.

A Kabul University professor said educators are now tasked with writing their own textbook materials, carefully navigating Taliban-imposed restrictions. But he questioned whether these materials could ever meet international academic standards under such constraints.

The BBC has reached out to the Taliban's Ministry of Education for comment.