In a stark escalation of its draconian policies, the Taliban regime has banned women from attending medical schools, obliterating one of the last avenues for Afghan women to access higher education. The decision, reportedly issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, was communicated in a clandestine meeting in Kabul with heads of medical institutions. The regime, notorious for its oppressive governance, has not publicly commented on the decision, but its silence speaks volumes about its intent to erase women from public and professional spheres.
This decree effectively removes Afghan women from critical healthcare roles, including midwives, nurses, and other medical professionals, in a country already grappling with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. By barring women from these professions, the Taliban is not just curtailing their rights but actively jeopardizing the lives of Afghan women and children who rely on gender-sensitive healthcare services.
Voices of Despair and Resistance
The announcement has unleashed a wave of despair among Afghan women, many of whom shared their anguish through social media videos. In one viral clip, a group of young women denied entry to their medical school bitterly lamented, “Give us poison so we can die peacefully.” These words capture the hopelessness that has engulfed Afghan women, whose dreams of education and independence have been systematically crushed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
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For many, nursing and midwifery were the final bastions of opportunity after the Taliban banned secondary and university education for girls. These professions not only offered a sense of purpose but also provided essential services to a healthcare system in desperate need. The Taliban’s latest move has extinguished that last glimmer of hope, leaving thousands of aspiring medical professionals in limbo.
Videos of students weeping outside their institutions and quietly protesting by singing as they left classrooms underscore the quiet resilience of Afghan women. Yet, their courage stands in stark contrast to the Taliban’s calculated efforts to erase their presence.
Collapsing Healthcare in a Crisis State
The Taliban’s policies are set to devastate an already fragile healthcare system. Afghanistan suffers from a critical shortage of medical professionals, especially midwives. The World Health Organization reported in 2023 that Afghanistan needs an additional 18,000 midwives to meet basic healthcare demands. This shortfall, combined with a maternal mortality rate of 620 deaths per 100,000 live births, paints a grim picture of the nation’s healthcare crisis.
Under Taliban rule, male doctors are prohibited from treating female patients unless accompanied by a male guardian. This cultural restriction makes the presence of female medical professionals indispensable. Yet, by dismantling women’s access to medical education, the Taliban is effectively condemning countless women to suffer without adequate care.
Health officials have expressed alarm, with some scrambling to conduct final exams for students whose education has been abruptly halted. However, the lack of clarity from the Taliban regime leaves little hope for a reversal of this policy. The decision appears to be part of a broader strategy to reinforce gender apartheid, regardless of the catastrophic consequences for public health.
International Condemnation and Calls for Action
The global community has reacted with outrage and despair. The United Kingdom’s chargé d’affaires to Afghanistan, Robert Dickson, called the ban “another affront to women’s right to education” and warned of its devastating impact on healthcare access for Afghan women and children. Human rights organizations have echoed these sentiments, with the Afghanistan Women and Children Strengthen Welfare Organization emphasizing the catastrophic consequences for maternal health and overall public healthcare.
Despite these condemnations, the international response remains largely rhetorical. The Taliban has shown little regard for international pressure or human rights conventions. Its policies reflect a deliberate effort to isolate Afghan women from society under the guise of Sharia law, stripping them of agency, opportunity, and even the right to exist as equal citizens.
A Nation Suffers as Women are Silenced
The Taliban’s systematic erasure of women from public life extends beyond education and healthcare. Women are barred from most forms of employment, denied freedom of movement, and stripped of basic rights. The ban on medical education is not just an attack on women; it is a blow to the entire Afghan society, which will bear the brunt of these regressive policies.
By targeting healthcare education, the Taliban is ensuring that the cycle of oppression continues unabated. Women, once the backbone of Afghanistan’s healthcare system, are being rendered invisible. The repercussions of this decision will ripple across generations, leaving a nation already battered by conflict and poverty to grapple with an even deeper crisis.
The Taliban’s ban on women’s medical education is not just a policy; it is a calculated act of cruelty that endangers lives and undermines the fabric of Afghan society. The international community must move beyond words and take decisive action to hold the regime accountable. For the women of Afghanistan, time is running out, and the cost of inaction is far too high.