Consequences of Taliban’s Ban on Women’s Education
By Omid Sharafat*, translated into English by Rustam Seerat for Zan Times
In the past two and a half years since returning to power, the Taliban have issued more than 50 restrictive orders against women. Among these, depriving women of education and employment has had the most significant impact on the current lives and future of women and the country. This article focuses on those consequences.
Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are deprived of the right to education. A decree issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Education on March 24, 2022 (equivalent to the beginning of the first academic year under the administration of this group) prohibited girls in grades higher than six from attending classes. In the next step, on November 20, 2022, Neda Mohammad Nadim, the acting minister of higher education of the Taliban, officially announced the ban on the entry of women and girls into public and private universities.
Although the Taliban claimed that these orders were temporary, they have not been replaced or removed, despite demands of the people of Afghanistan and the international community. As a result, girls and women continue to be deprived of education, employment, and, of course, other social rights.
