Sept 7, 2021: For the first time since the Taliban came to power, students across Afghanistan have begun returning to university, and in some cases women have been separated from their male counterparts behind a curtain or board.

Teachers and students at universities in Afghanistan’s largest cities – Kabul, Kandahar and Herat – resumed learning activities.

Despite assurances in recent weeks that women’s rights would be honoured in accordance with Islamic law, it is unclear what that will mean in practice.

What is happening in universities and schools across the country is being closely watched by foreign powers, who want the Taliban to respect women’s rights in exchange for significant aid and diplomatic engagements.

The Taliban had conditionally allowed private colleges and universities to reopen on Monday, ordering separate classes for boys and girls in universities or at least a separate veil, while abayas for female students and It is necessary to wear a niqab that covers their entire face except the eyes.

According to a notification from the Taliban’s Ministry of Education, only female students can teach female students. However, if this is not possible, then an old man of good character should be hired for the job.

The Taliban had previously ordered women attending private Afghan universities to wear abayas and niqabs and cover most of their faces. In recent years, burqas and niqabs have largely disappeared from the streets of Kabul, but are often seen in cities and towns. In a lengthy document released by the Taliban’s education authority, they also ordered that female students be taught only by other women, but if that was not possible, the “old men” of good character would be filled, AFP reported.

Afghanistan’s universities need to recruit female teachers for students based on their facilities, the Taliban said. If it is not possible to hire female teachers, colleges should “try to hire older male teachers who are well-mannered.”

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