Afghanistan: Taliban will let women study, but separate from men
A veiled Afghan woman walks down from the auditorium of Kabul University during a demonstration of support for the Taliban, September 11, 2021. AP - Felipe Dana
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Abdul Baqui Haqqani, the Minister of Higher Education of the new Afghan regime, confirmed on Sunday (September 12) that the Taliban will let women study at university if they wish.
But they will have to do it separately from men.
There are many concerns at universities and abroad.
Advertising
Read more
During a press conference in Kabul, Abdul Baqui Haqqani brushed aside Western fears about the role the Taliban will give to education in Afghanistan, where they regained power in mid-August. “
The responsibility for rebuilding the country rests with the universities,
” he said, adding that he was “
hopeful
” because “
the number of universities has greatly increased
” compared to the days of the first Taliban regime. , between 1996 and 2001. "
This makes us optimistic for the future, to build a prosperous and autonomous Afghanistan
," the Minister of Higher Education further underlined.
If the
new teachers of Afghanistan
intend to "
make good use of these universities
", co-education will no longer be allowed in classrooms. Women who wish will be able to study, but not with men. “
The people are Muslims and they will accept it. (...) Diversity is contrary to the principles of Islam and to our traditions,
”said Abdul Baqui Haqqani. According to him, co-education has been imposed by the pro-Western government for the past 20 years as universities demanded separate education.
A few days ago, the Taliban government announced its intention to allow women to study, but
under strict conditions
: wearing the full veil, single-sex, classes given in separate classes or by a curtain ... confirmation from the Minister of Education is causing concern in certain establishments, where it is feared that they will not have the means, neither material nor financial, to adapt to the new rules.
Universities fear student flight abroad
In universities, it is also feared that single-sex education will encourage students to leave Afghanistan to continue their studies abroad. An exile that the Taliban already refused to consider at the end of August: their spokesperson,
Zabihullah Mujahid
, had declared that they wanted to keep the various “
Afghan experts
” because “
the country needs their expertise
”.
Unesco, the United Nations agency specializing in education in particular, said on Friday that
Afghanistan's
"
immense
" progress on this subject since 2001 was "
in danger
" now.
She fears a "
generational catastrophe
" which could affect the development of the country "
for years
".
(With AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Afghanistan
Taliban
Education