The United States embassy for Afghanistan expressed grave concern over the ongoing injustices faced by Afghan women and girls, warning that restrictions on their education and basic freedoms undermine principles of justice and equality worldwide.
“In amplifying voices on human rights, let us unite to demand change and uphold the rights of all people, everywhere,” the embassy stated on the social media platform X.
The statement highlights the dire circumstances faced by Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, including bans on education beyond grade six and the closure of universities to female students. The Taliban recently extended these restrictions by shutting down medical institutions for women.
Tom Fletcher, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the U.N. Security Council that the Taliban’s ban on women attending medical institutions marks a devastating setback for Afghanistan’s healthcare system.
“This was the last remaining sector where Afghan women could pursue higher education following the ban on girls’ higher education in December 2022,” Fletcher said.
He warned of the far-reaching consequences of the policy, predicting it would prevent more than 36,000 midwives and 2,800 nurses from entering the workforce in the coming years. Fletcher added that the decision would exacerbate an already critical health crisis, with maternal, neonatal, and preventable mortality rates expected to rise sharply.
“More than one-third of Afghan women already give birth without professional medical support,” Fletcher said, noting that a woman in Afghanistan dies from preventable maternal complications every two hours.
The Taliban’s escalating restrictions on women have drawn widespread condemnation, with rights organizations and global leaders urging immediate action to prevent further deterioration of women’s rights and healthcare in Afghanistan.
