The U.S. Embassy for Afghanistan, now operating remotely, issued a statement on Monday, expressing concern over the daily struggles faced by Afghan citizens, particularly women and girls, in their fight for fundamental human rights.
In a post on X, the embassy said, “Denying [women and girls] access to education, healthcare, and freedom is an affront to their dignity and humanity.” The message also invoked the words of Nelson Mandela, stating, “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”
The statement follows the Taliban’s recent decision to prohibit women from pursuing medical education, effectively barring them from the country’s last remaining higher education programs accessible to women. The new restrictions have drawn condemnation from human rights advocates and the international community.
United Nations experts, including Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, denounced the ban as an unjustifiable escalation of the Taliban’s ongoing crackdown on women’s freedoms.
“If implemented, the reported new ban will be yet another inexplicable, totally unjustifiable blow to the health, dignity, and futures of Afghan women and girls,” the experts said in a joint statement. “It will constitute yet another direct assault on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.”
The Taliban, which has systematically curtailed women’s access to education and employment since retaking power in 2021, has faced growing international criticism for its policies. The latest measure has further isolated Afghanistan and exacerbated fears about the long-term consequences of erasing women from public life.
The restrictions have sparked outrage both within Afghanistan and abroad. Critics argue that barring women from medical education will not only harm the country’s healthcare system but also deepen the humanitarian crisis in a nation already reeling from economic collapse and international sanctions.
The U.S. Embassy reiterated its commitment to supporting Afghan women and girls, calling for their rights to be restored and protected.
