Taliban Blocks Women from Health Education, Escalating Gender Restrictions

In a devastating blow to women’s education, Taliban authorities have reportedly barred women from attending nursing and midwifery courses, further tightening restrictions branded as “gender apartheid” by the United Nations.

Senior employees at health education institutions revealed the decision was communicated in meetings held by health officials.

“There is no official letter, but we were told this is the supreme leader’s order,” a public health ministry source disclosed, speaking anonymously.

The directive follows the Taliban’s 2021 ban on girls’ education beyond secondary school, leaving health institutes as one of the few paths for women to pursue careers.

Women now make up the majority of the 35,000 students at Afghanistan’s 160 health institutes.

The order leaves institute managers scrambling. Some have continued normal operations in the absence of written instructions, while others have petitioned the health ministry for clarity.

Reports suggest final exams for female students will be allowed within 10 days, but the future remains uncertain.

This decision threatens an already fragile healthcare system. “We are short of medical professionals, and this will only make things worse,” a health ministry insider warned.

International voices have condemned the ban. The UK’s charge d’affaires labeled it an attack on women’s rights, warning it will worsen healthcare access for women and children in Afghanistan.

As Afghanistan’s women lose another avenue of empowerment, the world watches in dismay, fearing the growing consequences of a country turning its back on half its population.

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