Why I was born a woman. Female students' challenges in Afghanistan higher education under the Taliban rule.

Autor/inn/en	Orfan, Sayeed Naqibullah; Wahab Shams, Abdul
Titel	Why I was born a woman. Female students' challenges in Afghanistan higher education under the Taliban rule.
Quelle	In: Higher education, 91 (2026) 3, S. 1023-1043Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0018-1560; 1573-174X
DOI	10.1007/s10734-025-01454-8
Schlagwörter	Frau; Lehre; Arbeitskraft; Berufstätigkeit; Studium; Hochschule; Student; Afghanistan; Ausland
Abstract	Following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, women were initially permitted to attend segregated university classes in Afghanistan but faced a plethora of restrictions and challenges on and off campus. This study examined the experiences of female students under Taliban rule, drawing on interviews with 11 students from a public university in western Afghanistan. Participants, majoring in various fields, shared their struggles, which were analyzed using thematic analysis and interpreted through the Islamic educational equity framework. The findings revealed that the Taliban enforced restrictive policies targeting female students, including rigid dress codes, restrictions on movement on campus, ban on academic freedom, and denial of access to administrative offices. Female students reported severe anxiety about potential university closures, forced marriages, and mental health issues arising from these conditions. These restrictions starkly contradict Islamic teachings, global Islamic scholarship, and historical precedents that support women's education. They are rooted in a combination of patriarchal cultural traditions and the intellectual limitations rooted in the Taliban leaders' narrow madrasa-based education. The study calls for urgent, united global action to address these injustices being perpetrated against women and girls and urges educational institutions worldwide to offer scholarships and other opportunities to girls and women in Afghanistan. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
Erfasst von	Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, Bonn
Update	2026/4