GENEVA — The United Nations on Thursday condemned the Taliban’s decision to ban women from attending private medical institutions, calling it a “profoundly discriminatory” policy that endangers lives and further erodes the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights described the move as “the latest in a long string of state-sponsored discriminatory measures” aimed at excluding women from public life. The ban eliminates one of the last avenues for Afghan women to pursue higher education and exacerbates the nation’s already dire shortage of female healthcare workers, the statement said.
“This decision is short-sighted and profoundly discriminatory,” the statement read. “It removes the only remaining path for women and girls towards higher education and will decimate the already inadequate supply of female midwives, nurses, and doctors.”
Risk to healthcare and maternal mortality
The U.N. highlighted the devastating implications for women’s access to healthcare, as Afghanistan’s restrictive rules prohibit male medical staff from treating women unless a male relative is present. With one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, Afghanistan faces mounting challenges in providing critical care to women without a sufficient number of female health professionals.
“Women’s presence in the health sector is crucial,” the statement emphasized.
The ban is part of a broader campaign by the Taliban to curtail women’s rights. Since returning to power in 2021, the group has issued edicts barring women from secondary and higher education, most forms of employment, and public spaces.
“These measures, taken by men with an absolute lack of transparency and without any involvement of those concerned, are clearly aimed at excluding women and girls from public life,” the U.N. said.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the Taliban to repeal the directive, urging the group to fulfill its international human rights obligations.
“It is high time women and girls’ human rights are ensured,” Mr. Türk said, adding that Afghanistan’s de facto authorities hold responsibility for the welfare, security, and safety of the entire population.
The Taliban’s actions have drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, which continues to press for the restoration of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
