Thursday, December 05, 2024 - Women in Afghanistan will no longer be allowed to attend nursing and midwifery classes following an edict issued by the Taliban's supreme leader, according to senior employees at institutions offering these courses.
Health officials conveyed the directive during a meeting
with institute directors in Kabul on Monday, December 2, a public health
ministry official told AFP. The official, who was not authorised to speak
publicly, said, “There is no official letter, but the directors of institutes
were informed in a meeting that women and girls can’t study anymore in their
institutes. They were not provided with any details and justification and were
just told of the order of the supreme leader and were asked to implement it.”
The ruling, which lacks formal documentation, has caused
confusion among educational institutions. While some managers sought clarity
from the health ministry, others have continued operations as usual, pending a
written directive.
The ban marks another devastating blow to women’s education
in Afghanistan, which has been increasingly restricted since the Taliban
returned to power in 2021. Girls have already been barred from secondary
schools and universities, forcing many to pursue health-related studies as one
of the few remaining educational options.
Women now account for the majority of students in
Afghanistan’s health institutes, which include 10 public and over 150 private
institutions offering two-year diplomas in fields such as midwifery,
anaesthesia, pharmacy, and dentistry. These institutes collectively serve
around 35,000 women students.
Institute managers expressed concerns about the impact of
the ban. “What are we supposed to do with just 10 percent of our students?” one
manager questioned.
Aysha, a 28-year-old midwifery teacher in Kabul, said she
was told by her institute’s management not to report to work until further
notice. “This is a big shock for us. Psychologically, we are shaken. This was
the only source of hope for the girls and women who were banned from
universities,” she said.
The United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires called the reports
“deeply concerning,” stating on social media that the decision represents
“another affront to women’s right to education” and would further restrict
healthcare access for Afghan women and children.
The ban is expected to exacerbate the country’s already
critical shortage of medical and para-medical professionals. “We are already
short of professional medical and para-medical staff, and this would result in
further shortages,” the health ministry source warned. The Taliban’s actions
continue to draw widespread condemnation as they deepen what the United Nations
has termed “gender apartheid.”
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