KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities in Herat province, western Afghanistan, have banned girls above sixth grade from attending private education centers in the region, according to local sources.
In a letter, a copy of which was obtained by KabulNow, the Taliban Directorate of Education in Herat stated that the ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade also applies to education centers, instructing the heads of centers to enforce the ban.
The head of an education center in Herat confirmed to KabulNow that Taliban authorities have ordered education centers to stop enrolling female students above sixth grade until further notice.
It is unclear whether the latest restriction applies only in Herat or extends to other provinces as well.
Private education centers are the only remaining avenue for women and girls above sixth grade to receive training in computers, languages, and some school subjects.
The latest restriction is part of a broader campaign against the fundamental rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. Shortly after returning to power, the Taliban barred girls from attending school beyond sixth grade. In December 2022, the regime also banned women from attending universities and from most paid jobs.
Recently, the Taliban barred female students from attending medical institutions where they were receiving nursing and midwifery training.
UN experts, rights groups, and activists all agree that the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls constitutes a system of apartheid designed to deliberately subjugate them solely based on their gender.
They have repeatedly called on Taliban authorities to end discriminatory practices and laws against women, urging the immediate restoration of full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in public life.
The Taliban, however, defines women’s rights according to their strict interpretation of Islamic law and has shown no signs of yielding amid growing backlash and pressure to uphold the fundamental rights of women and girls.
