In 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan as US troops withdrew from the country. Of course, many concerns arose among the international community. One of the main concerns was protecting women’s rights, particularly access to education. However, the Taliban reassured the world that they had no plans to stop women from getting an education. The Taliban closed schools for nearly seven months after coming to power. When schools were to be reopened for everyone in March, the Taliban administration did a 180-degree turn, announcing that girls’ high schools would not be reopening; this meant girls above the 6th grade would not be able to get an education.  

The Taliban claimed that the reason behind closing schools indefinitely was a shortage of teachers, the necessity of establishing an appropriate environment where girls could study, and the need to decide on an appropriate uniform for girls. The Taliban education ministry stated that the girls' secondary school would not be opened until they had put together a comprehensive plan that agreed with Sharia and Afghan culture. However, this seemed to be an excuse to cover up the true reason for closing the schools. The Taliban’s explanation was confusing and contradictory, giving reasons to believe that the decision to close schools was not related to the issue of uniforms, or any of the other excuses they listed. The uniforms were already considered conservative and schools were separated by gender; not only that, but the Taliban administration had seven months while the schools were closed to decide on any specificities of the uniform. Using the uniform as an excuse to close the schools did not seem credible. It is believed that the Taliban do not want to admit that they do not want girls to attend school. The fact that the Taliban are restricting girls from getting an education is worrisome, especially since they know the international community is watching them.

Experts state that this decision demonstrates a “sign of deep divisions within the group about the future direction of rule in Afghanistan.” This decision to close schools, which was the outcome of a three-day cabinet meeting, is known to have caused surprise and uproar even within the Taliban circle. This outcome may have been to hide the internal disagreements within the Taliban. The director at Afghanistan International Television declared that the older generation of the Taliban was opposed to sending girls to school, as they did not see this action in compliance with the local culture, their particular interpretation of Sharia law, the semi-exclusion of women from public life, and viewed it as immoral. A source close to the Taliban leadership said that the leader of this older generation of Taliban had actually been heard declaring that he did not want to see any girls attend school in his native Kandahar province for as long as he was alive. Many leaders within the group called for the reopening of girls’ schools, but they didn’t seem to have the power to challenge the older Taliban leaders' minds or are afraid that it will lead to further conflict. It is reasonable to believe that the reasons the Taliban cited are not the true reasons, as the Taliban enforced a similar ban on female education when they took control in 1996. 

The Taliban ruled the country from 1996 to 2001, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and amidst a civil war. During this time they had banned all education for girls above the age of eight, citing security reasons and stating the schools would reopen once security improved; as one might guess, this never happened. However, the response to the Taliban decision to ban education for women today may not be the same as it was in 1996. This is because the capital and country that the Taliban are now in charge of is vastly different from the war-battered city they controlled in 1996. The Taliban will likely face a stronger pushback from not only women and older students, but also men who want women to have an education. The population of Afghanistan has doubled since 1996, and the expectations regarding womens’ and education rights have also increased, so this may force the Taliban to reconsider some of their differences. Even Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai believes that this Taliban education ban cannot last forever; it was easier to maintain the ban back in 1996, but today people are more willing to push back. Now, women know how it feels to be educated and to be empowered, which will make it hard for the Taliban to maintain the ban.

This may be true, as days after girls were sent home after school, small protests erupted. More than two dozen girls gathered in front of the Ministry of Education in Kabul in their uniforms. They held slogans and their notebooks and chanted in the streets for justice, until they were forced to flee when the Taliban arrived. The women were afraid of what this ban could mean for their future, or if they will even have a future. As a result of this education ban, many families have already married off girls. The role of women in society is being undermined and diminished; if this ban were to become permanent, women would be removed from all sectors of society, under the excuse of religion. 

The U.S. responded to this move against human rights by canceling the talks planned to take place in Qatar to discuss key economic issues. The U.S. and Taliban were set to discuss issues involving the Afghan central bank’s independence and “the printing of Afghani currency notes.” They were also going to discuss the creation of a humanitarian exchange facility which could potentially release funding of hundreds of millions of dollars as well as cash from the World Bank Trust fund, which is “earmarked for Afghanistan’s education sector.” This illustrated how the Taliban’s decisions on human rights could affect the willingness of the international community to help the Taliban. Humanitarian agencies and foreign governments alike have condemned the Taliban’s actions. Furthermore, the US, along with the UK, Canada, France, Italy, and Norway, issued a joint statement declaring that this Taliban decision would hurt the group’s legitimacy in the eyes of the international community. The World Bank also recently took concrete action by suspending $600 million dollars of aid for 4 projects in Afghanistan, citing concerns of the recent Taliban action to ban public school education for women, and this could further contribute to Afghanistan’s already worsening economic disaster. 

As of right now, we can only wait and see what the Taliban will do next, and if they actually plan to reopen the school for high school girls. One of the worst fears of women and girls throughout Afghanistan, as well as the international community, is coming true. With the international community watching, and growing unrest in their own country, the Taliban might be pressured into reopening the schools. The international community can help by taking more concrete actions, such as not legitimizing the Taliban government, suspending any aid, and holding talks with leaders to find a solution, to add pressure. Though the situation might seem hopeless and similar to the education ban of 1996, times have changed. People are more aware of the world around them and refuse to stay silent to injustice; this is why I believe there is hope that this Taliban ban on education won’t last.