KABUL, Afghanistan – Women in Afghanistan may continue to study at universities, even at postgraduate levels, but classrooms will be segregated by gender and Islamic dress is mandatory, the new higher education minister said on Sunday Taliban government.
The minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, set out the new policies at a press conference, several days after the new rulers of Afghanistan formed an all-male government. On Saturday, the Taliban had raised the flag over the presidential palace, indicating the start of the new government’s work.
The world has been watching closely to see to what extent the Taliban could act differently from the first time they ruled, in the late 1990s. During this time, girls and women were denied education and were excluded from public life.
The Taliban have suggested that they have changed, including their attitudes towards women. However, women have been banned from sports and the Taliban have used violence in recent days against women protesters demanding equal rights.
Haqqani said the Taliban did not want to turn the clock back 20 years. “We will start building what exists today,” he said.
However, college women will face restrictions, including a mandatory dress code. Haqqani said hijabs would be mandatory, but did not specify whether this meant mandatory handkerchiefs or also mandatory facials.
Gender segregation will also apply, he said. “We will not allow boys and girls to study together,” he said. “We will not allow co-education.”
Haqqani said the subjects being taught would also be reviewed. Although he did not elaborate on details, he said he wanted graduates of Afghan universities to be competitive with graduates from the region and the rest of the world.
The Taliban, who subscribe to a strict interpretation of Islam, banned music and art during their pre-power stage. This time television has been maintained and news channels still show women presenters, but the Taliban’s messaging has been erratic.
In an interview with the popular TOLO news in Afghanistan, Taliban spokesman Syed Zekrullah Hashmi said women should give birth and raise children, and while the Taliban have not ruled out the eventual participation of women in government, the A spokesman said “it is not necessary for women to be in the cabinet.”
The Taliban seized power on August 15, the day they ravaged the capital Kabul after capturing peripheral provinces in a swift military campaign. They initially promised inclusion and general amnesty for their former opponents, but many Afghans remain deeply afraid of the new rulers. Taliban police officials have beaten Afghan journalists, violently dispersed women’s protests and formed an all-male government despite initially saying they would invite wider representation.
The new higher education policy indicates a change from the accepted practice before the Taliban’s acquisition. Universities were co-edited, with men and women studying side by side, and students were not required to comply with a dress code. However, the vast majority of female college students opted to wear headscarves in accordance with traditions.
In primary and secondary schools, boys and girls were taught separately, even before the Taliban came to power. In high schools, girls were required to wear white knee-length tunics and handkerchiefs, and jeans, makeup, and jewelry were not allowed.