A curtain divides male, female students as Afghan universities reopen

Students attend class under new classroom conditions at Avicenna University in Kabul, Afghanistan September 6, 2021, in this picture obtained by REUTERS from social media. Social media handout/via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Students across Afghanistan have started returning to university for the first time since the Taliban stormed to power, and in some cases females have been separated from their male peers by curtains or boards down the middle of the classroom.

What happens in universities and schools across the country is being closely watched by foreign powers, who want the Islamist militant movement to respect the rights of women in return for vital aid and diplomatic engagement.