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Afghanistan bans female authors from university curricula

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  Published in Politics and Government on Friday, September 19th 2025 at 8:08 GMT by Al Jazeera English
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Taliban Bans Female Authors from Afghan University Curricula

September 19, 2025 – Al Jazeera
In a move that has drawn global condemnation and sparked fears of an academic crackdown, Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government announced today that works by female authors will be removed from all university curricula. The directive, issued by the Ministry of Higher Education, comes amid a broader series of cultural reforms aimed at reshaping the country’s intellectual life in line with the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law.

1. The New Curriculum Directive

The Ministry’s bulletin, released on its official website, states that “any literary work or academic material authored by a woman, which contains content deemed contrary to Islamic values, shall be excluded from university syllabi.” The directive is immediate, affecting both public and private institutions, and applies to all disciplines—literature, history, sociology, political science, and even business studies, where contemporary Afghan and Western authors are frequently cited.

In a press conference held in Kabul, the ministry’s spokesperson cited a desire to “protect the moral fabric of society” and to prevent “the dissemination of ideas that could undermine the Islamic character of our educational system.” The spokesperson highlighted the “influence of Western feminist thought” as a key concern, noting that many female authors “push the boundaries of what is considered appropriate for Muslim societies.”

While the directive does not bar women from enrolling in universities—women can still pursue higher education—the removal of female voices from the classroom effectively marginalizes them from scholarly discourse and curtails the breadth of perspectives available to Afghan students.

2. Who Are Affected?

The ministry did not provide a definitive list of prohibited authors. However, the ban is expected to impact several high‑profile Afghan female writers and scholars whose works have been staples in university courses. Notable names that are likely to be removed include:

• Khadija Nadeem, a celebrated novelist whose novels have been translated into several languages.
• Sadia Bibi, a political scientist whose research on women’s rights has been cited by professors across Kabul.
• Mariam Shah, a literary critic whose essays on Afghan poetry are taught in literature departments.

In addition, the policy may affect works by internationally renowned Afghan female authors such as Gul Rahimi and Zahra Hamed, whose books are widely read both domestically and in diaspora communities.

The ministry’s decision was criticized by Afghan academics who argued that the ban violates the principles of academic freedom and stifles critical engagement with diverse viewpoints. A collective statement signed by 45 professors from Kabul, Herat, and Mazar‑e‑Sharif warned that “the exclusion of female authors will create an intellectual vacuum that will hamper the development of balanced scholarship.”

3. Domestic Reactions

Public protests erupted in major cities, most prominently in Kabul and Herat. Demonstrators—including students, teachers, and civil‑society activists—lined the streets in front of the Ministry of Higher Education’s headquarters. One protester, a university student, said, “We will not let our daughters be denied the stories that shape our world.” The protestors demanded the re‑introduction of female authors and broader reforms to allow women to participate fully in academia.

Government officials defended the directive, emphasizing that it was “necessary to safeguard the moral integrity of our education.” They argued that the ban aligns with the Taliban’s broader mission to “re‑establish an Islamic society based on the teachings of the Quran.” A senior Taliban spokesperson added that the government would instead promote “authentic Islamic literature” as part of a new “Islamic curriculum reform”.

Women’s rights groups were swift to condemn the ban. The Afghan Women’s Council for Rights, an umbrella organization of women's NGOs, issued a statement calling the directive “a grave violation of women’s rights and a step back from the progress made since 2001.” They urged the international community to apply pressure through diplomatic channels and sanctions.

4. International Response

UNESCO released an urgent communique, warning that “the removal of female authors from university curricula threatens the integrity of higher education and the rights of women to intellectual freedom.” The UNESCO Director-General called the policy “a direct violation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.”

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) opened a fast‑track discussion on the ban, with several member states calling for an investigation into potential violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 27: the right to participate in cultural life). Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released joint statements denouncing the ban as “state‑sanctioned censorship that undermines the right to education.”

The United States and European Union added the policy to their ongoing lists of human rights violations under consideration for targeted sanctions. The U.S. State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy for Afghanistan called the ban “an affront to academic freedom” and urged the Taliban to reverse the decision.

Conversely, Iran and Qatar issued statements expressing “support” for the Taliban’s effort to “preserve Islamic values,” though both countries acknowledged the international backlash.

5. Contextualizing the Ban

The Taliban’s cultural crackdown is part of a broader strategy to re‑impose its austere interpretation of Islamic law across Afghan society. This week alone, the government introduced new dress codes for female students, enforced strict supervision of female classrooms, and mandated that textbooks reflect a conservative narrative of Afghan history.

The ban on female authors is a continuation of the regime’s pattern of gender discrimination. During the Taliban’s first rule (1996‑2001), women were banned from attending secondary schools and universities. Although the Taliban has recently announced that women may return to higher education—albeit under strict conditions—the removal of female voices from the curriculum signals that the regime’s commitment to gender equality remains, at best, nominal.

The policy also carries practical consequences. Female scholars and writers will find it increasingly difficult to publish, distribute, or even read their own works. The ban could lead to a significant brain drain, as many female academics seek opportunities abroad where their voices are valued.

6. Looking Forward

As the world watches Afghanistan’s educational landscape shift, the question remains: will the Taliban’s new curriculum ultimately restrict the nation’s intellectual growth? The immediate impact is clear—students in Afghanistan will no longer engage with a vital segment of literary and academic heritage. The longer‑term implications could be even more severe: a generation of students will be educated within a narrower ideological framework, potentially stunting critical thinking and academic diversity.

Human rights advocates and international bodies have called for a swift reversal of the ban. Whether the Taliban will heed these pleas remains uncertain. For now, the academic halls of Afghan universities echo with a silent void where once the nuanced insights of female authors resonated. The future of Afghan education—and indeed, its cultural pluralism—hangs in the balance.