The Taliban have asked educational centers not to allow girls without prayer scarves in Herat province, at least five educational centers and health institutions in the province said.
The ban was announced through a notice on Tuesday, the sources said.
“Dear students! Please do not enter without a prayer scarf{full Hijab}. Entry will not be permitted otherwise, and you will not have the right to complain,” the notice reads.
Additionally, some students and staff at educational centers and health institutes in Herat city have confirmed that this directive is being enforced with a threatening tone.
Suhaila* a student at an educational center in Herat city, said that staff at the center had warned her that entry would be denied if she did not wear a prayer scarf.
She said that hijab is a personal choice, and educational centers should not enforce a specific type of hijab on girls.
In some educational centers, banners have been installed promoting the Taliban’s preferred hijab, that’s the all-covering hijab.
At Atifi Health Sciences Institute, for instance, one of these banners introduces hijab as God’s directive for women, encouraging them to wear headscarves and full-length veils.
Another banner, seen by Rukhshana Media, depicts women dressed in a manner approved by the Taliban, portraying the hijab as safeguarding “safety” and “dignity” for women.
The measures are being implemented following the Taliban’s control in the country, with strict gender segregation rules enforced in educational institutions and public spaces, leading to highly separate male and female environments.
