JURIST EXCLUSIVE – Law students in Afghanistan are filing reports with JURIST on the situation there after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on Sunday. Here, a law student in Herat in western Afghanistan offers her observations and perspective. For privacy and security reasons we are withholding her name and institutional affiliation. The text has been only lightly edited to respect the author’s voice.

The situation of Herat is almost calm, the number of Taliban is decreased in the city since a few days ago.

On August 15, the leaders of the Taliban in Herat met with the university leadership to discuss important issues, including the situation of female students and female staff.

At that meeting, a Taliban leader named Maulvi Aminini allowed female students to enter university and study, but this entry must be within the framework of Islamic law.

One of the conditions that the Taliban considered for girls ‘education was the separation of girls’ classes from boys, and according to some reports, they are even trying to provide a completely separate space from boys.

He said that a special procedure has been prepared for women to study and women can study and do administrative work according to that procedure. But actually the exact date of reopening the university is unknown. He said “we never deprive girls of education.”

He also said about the fields of study at the university that (as regards the faculties) “the Islamic Emirate allows teaching those fields that have worldly or spiritual benefits for students, but in the field of law, some adjustments will be made in the curriculum”.

I am in touch with some of my professors and they are also optimistic that the university will reopen soon; for now, the university is only open for administrative purposes.