Afghanistan: Taliban Plans to Ban Women from Nursing and Midwifery Courses Amid Struggling Healthcare Sector

The Taliban in Afghanistan is set to ban women from enrolling in nursing and midwifery courses, further exacerbating the country’s already struggling healthcare system. According to reports from AFP, the decision follows an edict from the Taliban’s supreme leader. Health officials held a meeting in Kabul with educational institution heads to communicate the directive, though no official announcement has been made.

A health ministry official warned that this move would worsen the already critical shortage of professional medical and paramedical staff in the country. “We are already facing a lack of trained medical professionals, and this ban will only deepen the crisis,” the source told AFP.

Although no formal letter has been issued, two health ministry officials confirmed the ban to BBC Afghan. The news prompted emotional reactions from students, with videos showing female health trainees crying over the decision. In a meeting on Monday, health ministry officials informed institute directors that women and girls could no longer study at these institutions, citing the directive of the supreme leader but without providing further justification.

The ban comes as a devastating blow to Afghan women, who have already been excluded from secondary and higher education since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Health training institutes had been one of the few remaining educational avenues for women, who now make up the majority of students in these programs. Afghanistan currently has approximately 10 public and over 150 private health institutes offering diplomas in various subjects such as midwifery, anaesthesia, pharmacy, and dentistry, with 35,000 women enrolled.

One institute manager expressed concern, saying, “What are we supposed to do with just 10 percent of our students?” The education and training provided by these institutes were vital for empowering Afghan women, offering a path to independence and professional growth.

Students, teachers, and institute staff have reacted with shock and distress. A midwifery instructor in Kabul reported being told not to return to work without any detailed explanation. “This is a huge shock for us. Psychologically, we are shaken,” she said. “This was the only hope for the girls and women who were banned from universities.”

The United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires condemned the ban as “another affront to women’s rights to education,” warning that it would severely limit healthcare access for Afghan women and children. The ban is part of a broader pattern of increasingly restrictive measures imposed on women since the Taliban regained control, including decrees limiting their public freedoms and rights.

These actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, with human rights organizations such as Amnesty International highlighting the significant setbacks for women’s rights in Afghanistan, including restrictions on education, work, and personal freedoms.