Afghanistan has banned books written by women and a number of university courses.

In Afghanistan, the government formed by the Taliban movement (banned in Russia) has removed books written by women from the university curriculum and banned the teaching of several subjects deemed contrary to Sharia law, according to the BBC Afghan Service.

According to new instructions published by the Ministry of Higher Education, 679 books have been banned, of which approximately 140 are by women. These include scientific and educational works, including the manual "Chemical Laboratory Safety."

Furthermore, universities are banned from teaching 18 subjects, including human rights, gender studies, and courses on the role of women in society and sexual harassment. According to the Educational Revision Commission, "all books written by women are subject to removal."

Works by Iranian authors and books published in Iran were also banned. In total, the list includes 310 such publications. One of the commission members told the BBC that this measure is aimed at "preventing the penetration of Iranian influence" into the country's education system.

The decision has raised concerns among faculty. According to one professor at Kabul University, depriving them of access to such materials "creates a serious gap in higher education," as these works were the very ones that connected Afghan universities with the international academic community.

Since returning to power four years ago, the Taliban have gradually introduced new restrictions, particularly against women and girls. They are banned from education beyond sixth grade, and midwifery training courses were closed in the country at the end of 2024.

The new rules are yet another step in restricting women's rights: their work is now excluded from the educational process, and the academic freedom of universities is significantly curtailed.