Top Taliban Religious Leader Declares Women’s Education ‘Absolutely Forbidden’ in Kabul
The head of the Taliban’s religious council in Kabul has stated that it is “absolutely forbidden” for women to attend school and that they are not even allowed to participate in religious schools. These remarks were made in an audio recording released on social media, sparking widespread reactions.
In the audio file, Mawlawi Din Muhammad described sciences and technology as “useless and futile knowledge” and emphasized that education is not permitted for women. Without citing any specific religious or legal basis, he categorically stated this prohibition.
These statements come amid the Taliban administration’s imposition of extensive restrictions on the education and employment of women and girls across the country since its return to power. Girls above the sixth grade remain barred from attending schools, and university doors remain closed to women.
The continuation of these policies has made Afghanistan one of the few countries in the world to systematically deny women access to secondary and higher education. Women’s rights activists have repeatedly urged the Taliban to lift these restrictions and recognize education as a fundamental right for all residents of the country, but no significant changes have been observed so far.
