Taliban Orders All Female University Students to Wear Niqab Covering Everything Except Eyes

Classes also separated by gender, curtains used to divide boys and girls
Criticism of lack of realism "Insufficient space to separate boys and girls"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Taliban, an armed faction in Afghanistan, has announced new educational regulations that restrict female university students' attire and class arrangements. The Taliban is enforcing the wearing of the niqab, which covers the entire face except the eyes, and insists on separating male and female students' classrooms. Locally in Afghanistan, there is criticism that these policies are unrealistic and indiscriminate.

According to AFP on the 5th (local time), the Taliban's education authorities announced new regulations the day before that govern the attire and class methods for female students attending private universities in Afghanistan. According to these regulations, all female students must wear a niqab covering the entire face except the eyes while at school, and must wear a black abaya, a loose garment covering from the neck to the feet.

The Taliban also ordered that on-campus classes be conducted separately by gender, and if circumstances do not allow, at least curtains should be used to separate male and female students' classrooms. Additionally, female students must receive instruction only from female teachers, and if securing female teachers is difficult, elderly men with prior teaching experience are to substitute. Furthermore, female students must remain in the classroom until male students leave the school after class, and they are ordered to use different entrances according to gender.

The Taliban stated that this decree applies to all private universities, which have significantly increased in Afghanistan over the 20 years since the 2001 Afghan war. Local Taliban-run schools are resisting, calling the policy outdated and unrealistic.

A university professor who requested anonymity told AFP, "The content announced by the Taliban is a plan that is practically difficult," and pointed out, "We do not have enough female teachers or classroom space." He added, "However, it is positive that women are allowed to attend schools or universities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.