KABUL, Afghanistan — Female university lecturers in Afghanistan are facing an uncertain future due to oppressive restrictions imposed by the Taliban. Despite the country’s need for qualified academic figures, Taliban has banned all women from teaching in universities.
The ban has raised significant concerns among students and educators alike. They point out that the prohibition exacerbates the existing shortage of professors in universities, forcing female lecturers to remain at home.
Amu spoke with Adela Hameedi Azin, a former lecturer at Parwan University who taught there for 12 years before being barred from teaching following the Taliban’s takeover. Azin emphasized that preventing female lecturers from teaching is detrimental to Afghanistan’s educational system and will lead to further setbacks for the country.
“My request is simple. We should be given the same right to education that the holy religion of Islam has granted—the right to study and to teach,” Azin said. “The absence of women in universities is a significant issue. A university is not just about having male teachers; we also need female educators in faculties such as law, literature, and education, where many women become teachers.”
Students have also voiced their concerns about the shortage of lecturers. “University lecturers are scientific experts, who are a vast source of knowledge. They are the ones who can elevate our society and people to a much higher level of awareness and progress,” said Mohammad, a university student. “This is a huge loss for the country, for our people, and for our society.”
“Professors have studied for years to earn their master’s and Ph.D. degrees in a bid to reach the heights of success,” said Ahmad, another student. “Now, being forced to stay home affects their talents.”
Since banning female professors from teaching in universities, the Taliban has reduced their salaries to 5,000 Afghanis.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education, more than 850 female lecturers were teaching in universities in 2021. Now, all these women have been forced to stay home by the Taliban.
