RASC News Agency: A number of girls from Herat have expressed their profound despair, stating that the Taliban’s draconian restrictions have transformed their lives into a living hell. These young women, already reeling from the closure of medical institutions to female students, assert that the Taliban have systematically dismantled their last hopes of pursuing education. They describe the group’s recent ban on women’s and girls’ education in Herat’s learning centers as profoundly disheartening.
The Taliban’s Directorate of Education in Herat issued an official directive last Tuesday, formally prohibiting girls above the sixth grade from attending educational institutions. This ban continues the Taliban’s broader campaign of erasing women from the educational sphere, following earlier decrees barring girls from schools and universities. Herati girls claim that the Taliban have declared an unyielding war against them, consistently implementing policies designed to strip them of their rights and aspirations.
A fourth-year medical student, whose dreams of becoming a doctor were shattered by the Taliban’s closure of universities, shared her anguish:
“I spent years striving to become a doctor. After universities were closed, I enrolled in a medical training institute and an English language center. But now, even these avenues have been taken away. Over the past month, the Taliban banned girls from attending these centers, and with this latest decision, even school-aged girls above sixth grade are barred from entering any educational institution.”
Fatima, another Herati student, voiced her frustration:
“Schools, universities, and private courses have all been closed to us. Every path to self-improvement is blocked. The government has forced us into isolation. All we have ever wanted is to pursue our dreams, yet our only crime is being girls. We implore the Taliban to grant us the same educational opportunities they provide for their own children.” Previously, the head of the Taliban’s Directorate of Education in Herat stated that the ban on girls attending private courses was issued under the direct orders of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader. He justified it as part of the group’s broader policies to prohibit girls above the sixth grade from pursuing any form of education.
After being excluded from schools and universities, many girls sought refuge in private learning centers, studying foreign languages, painting, and calligraphy. These institutions had become a source of hope and resilience in the face of despair. However, the Taliban’s latest restrictions have extinguished even these modest opportunities. Girls denied access to education in Herat have accused the Taliban of waging a calculated and relentless assault on women’s rights and their pursuit of knowledge.
