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Summary
In a new decree, the male tyrannical group Taliban bans women from medical education violating their rights to education and endangering crippling the nation’s healthcare system. The policy leaves growing concerns for women's rights in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s public health ministry has directed educational institutions to exclude women from studying nursing and midwifery. Haibatullah Akhundzada issued the order, which was conveyed during a meeting of the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health on Dec. 2nd, 2024. The ministry summoned directors of private medical training institutions to inform them of the directive.
“Directors of institutes were informed in a meeting that women and girls can’t study anymore in their institutes,” an anonymous public health ministry official told AFP.
The decision reportedly lacks justification, with institute managers instructed to implement it immediately. However, the directive communicated during the meeting in Kabul has yet to be formalised through an official letter.
An institute’s manager who attended the meeting and asked to be anonymous for fear of reprisal confirmed dozens of institute heads were in attendance, though the lack of written guidance has left many confused. While some institutions have petitioned the ministry for clarity, others are proceeding with normal operations. Health officials have given institutions ten days to conduct final exams for female students, further deepening the uncertainty.
A clip on social media shows female students at a medical school in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province weeping as a man announces that they are no longer permitted to continue their studies.
In previous orders, the Taliban had prohibited women in some provinces from receiving treatment from male medical professionals. With the new decree, which halts the training of female healthcare workers, Afghanistan women will be left with no access to medical care further endangering their lives and violating their fundamental human rights to life.
Taliban’s decision has sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the move as a severe blow to women’s rights and Afghanistan’s future.
“Clearly they’re interested in having their nation decline further. So sad for the women having to endure this level of sexism. This practice is the extreme form of sexism in which to be wary because humanity will not prosper when it deprives itself of the human capital inherent within half its population,” @HattulaJoy commented.
@tax_birdie called the ban inhumane, stating, “An entire country of women is locked away. They will only have communal knowledge to treat each other, like healers before. It is barbaric.”
“Why are other countries not loudly condemning this? Where is the worldwide outrage?”@Serena_Partrick tweeted, “The women and girls of Afghanistan are held prisoner by tyrannical abusers.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghan women and girls have faced severe restrictions impacting every aspect of their lives, including access to education, safe healthcare, freedom from early marriage, and political participation.
