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The United States and the United Nations have condemned the Taliban’s latest directive banning women from taking medical courses.
Some shit you should know before you read: According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health, a new directive bans women from studying medical courses, including nursing and midwifery, effectively cutting off one of the last remaining pathways for women to pursue higher education and professional careers in Afghanistan. This measure is expected to severely impact the country’s already fragile healthcare system by reducing the number of qualified female healthcare workers, who are essential in a society where cultural norms often prevent male doctors from treating female patients. According to human rights organizations, the ban will likely lead to increased maternal and infant mortality rates and deepen the humanitarian challenges facing Afghanistan’s vulnerable population.
The US sounds off: In response to the Taliban’s move, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “This directive, the latest in a series of efforts that jeopardize the rights and lives of Afghan women and girls, is an unjustifiable attack on women’s access to education and healthcare.” He added, “Previously issued restrictions have prevented women from both seeking health services from male providers and traveling without a male guardian. These directives, now coupled with excluding women from obtaining a medical education, further jeopardize the health, well-being, safety, and lives of not just Afghan women and girls, but all Afghans.”
The UN sounds off: In addition to the United States, UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett described the ban as “inexplicable and totally unjustifiable,” warning that it will cause “immense harm to all the population.” The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) echoed this sentiment, with spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani labeling the measure as “profoundly discriminatory and short-sighted.” Shamdasani emphasized that barring women from higher education “removes the only remaining path for women and girls towards higher education” and will lead to the further erosion of Afghanistan’s healthcare system, potentially resulting in increased “suffering, illness, and deaths” among women and children.
This all comes as the Taliban has imposed other restrictions systematically targeting women’s rights and freedoms since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Girls have been banned from attending secondary school beyond the sixth grade, and women have been prohibited from higher education since December 2022. Additionally, women are barred from most forms of employment, restricted from accessing public spaces such as parks and gyms, and required to have a male guardian accompany them for travel.
