The Taliban has banned books written by women from being used in Afghan universities and prohibited the teaching of 18 subjects it claims contradict Sharia law and government policies.
The order, issued in late August 2025, removes courses such as human rights, sexual harassment, gender and development, women’s sociology, and the role of women in communication — subjects that provided rare opportunities for discussion on women’s issues.
Science-related texts, including Safety in the Chemical Laboratory, were also blacklisted for being deemed “anti-Taliban.”
In addition, authorities blocked 310 books by Iranian authors and publishers, saying the move was meant to curb “Iranian influence” in education.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, girls have been banned from schooling beyond grade six, and midwifery courses were shut down in 2024.
The latest restrictions come amid broader criticism of Taliban policies, which recently prevented unrelated men from rescuing women trapped during a deadly earthquake. Nearly half of Afghanistan’s 43 million people are women, with around 2.5 million girls aged 12 and older barred from classrooms.
