The women must be covered from head to toe and sit in their own classrooms – and they must preferably have female lecturers. Alternatively, women can be taught by men if they are placed behind a curtain.
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Women in Afghanistan will be allowed to continue attending the University, the Taliban’s recent Minister of Higher Education, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, promised at a press conference on Sunday.
They will also be allowed to take a doctorate, he emphasized.
But, they have to be in their own classrooms without men. In the past, women and men at universities have sat separately, but in the same room. Now there will be full segregation.
The female students must also dress in line with the Taliban’s dress code and wear the hijab.
Haqqani did not specify whether “hijab” in this context means covering the face.
–At the press conference, it was also made clear that women should only be taught by female professors.
– Thank God we have so many female teachers. We will do everything we can to make sure we have female teachers for our students, he said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that it may be necessary to make exceptions.
– It all depends on the university’s capacity, he says.
– We can also use male teachers who teach behind a curtain, or use technology, he adds.
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Bad memories
The world has been watching closely since Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15.
The question of what will happen to the educational opportunities for women has been raised by women activists, politicians and aid organizations around the world.
Despite the fact that the new government has given big promises for the future – among other things that women should be allowed to work “within the Taliban’s framework” – experts are still unsure of who the Taliban is today, more than 20 years after they last seized power in 1996.
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At the time, the Taliban ruled with a conservative and brutal iron hand. Music and entertainment were then banned, executions were carried out in public and women’s freedom was severely curtailed.
Says no to women’s sports
But despite promises of women’s rights, the Taliban have been unwavering when it comes to women and sports:
On Thursday, it was announced that all women’s sports, and especially women’s cricket, will be banned.
– In cricket, they may face a situation where face and body are not covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen that way, Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, told Australian television channel SBS.
– In this media age, there are pictures and videos that people watch. Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or practice any other sport where they are exposed, he added.
He also made it clear that male cricket will continue.
–Female students showed support for the Taliban
Several Afghan women have also chosen to show their support for the Taliban. On Saturday, 300 women gathered for a rally at a university in Kabul.
The women were covered from head to toe, and many had also covered their eyes.
Several speakers declared support for the new regime in the country.
A spokesman for the Taliban authorities claims the celebration was organized by the women themselves. They must have asked for permission and received permission for the marking.
Many of them held Taliban flags, while female speakers criticized women who have been protesting against the Taliban in recent times.
See photos from the selection here:
1 of 4Photo: AAMIR QURESHI / AFP
