The Taliban government has removed books written by women from the university teaching system in Afghanistan as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment.
Some 140 books by women, including titles like 'Safety in the Chemical Laboratory,' were among 680 books found to be of concern due to 'anti-Sharia and Taliban policies'.
Universities were further instructed that 18 subjects were no longer permissible, with a Taliban official stating they conflicted with the principles of Sharia and the regime's policies.
This latest decree is part of ongoing restrictions enforced since the Taliban regained power four years ago.
Just this past week, fibre-optic internet was banned in at least ten provinces on the orders of the Taliban's supreme leader, in an initiative purportedly intended to prevent immorality.
The impact of these rules has been particularly severe for women and girls, who are barred from education beyond the sixth grade. Their last remaining pathway to additional training was severed in late 2024, when midwifery courses, previously available, were closed.
Now, even university subjects centered on women have been targeted: six of the 18 banned fields pertain specifically to women, including Gender and Development, The Role of Women in Communication, and Women's Sociology.
The Taliban claims to respect women's rights according to its interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law.
One committee member confirmed that all books authored by women are prohibited, and Zakia Adeli, a former deputy minister of justice and author facing censorship, expressed that this move was predictable given the Taliban's past actions. She emphasized that the suppression of women's academic contributions is reflective of the Taliban's misogynistic policies.
The new guidelines, seen by BBC Afghan, were issued in late August.
Moreover, the ban seems to include books by Iranian authors or publishers, intending to prevent perceived infiltration of Iranian content into the Afghan curriculum.
In a comprehensive list sent to universities, 679 titles were identified, with 310 either authored by Iranian writers or published in Iran. This decision has raised alarms among educators who argue that such removals will create a substantial void in the educational landscape.
One anonymous professor stated that Iranian authors serve as a crucial link between Afghanistan's universities and the global academic community, and their exclusion raises serious questions about the standards of education that can be offered under these restrictions.
Amidst these transformations, academics are now compelled to construct their own teaching materials within the constraints laid out by the Taliban's policies.
The BBC has sought comments from the Taliban's Ministry of Education regarding these developments.
