KABUL — The Taliban-run National Examination Authority has announced the launch of the new round of registration for the country’s national medical exit exam, but with no mention of allowing women to participate — once again excluding female medical graduates from professional qualification.
In a public notice, the authority said registration for the exam, administered by the Medical Council, began earlier this week and will remain open until May 30. The exit exam is a requirement for graduates of medicine and dentistry programs to obtain certification and begin practicing as licensed professionals.
However, several female graduates say they have received no information about whether they are permitted to register. Many had hoped this year’s exam would mark a change in policy after being blocked from participation since early 2022.
“This is the third time they’ve held the Exit Exam and we’ve been barred every time,” said Nasrin, a medical graduate in Kabul. “It makes our path to employment nearly impossible. Nineteen years of study feel like they’ve been wasted.”
Uranus, another graduate who had hoped to take the exam, said: “Despite being banned from attending university, I continued studying. But now I see all that work was for nothing. Without this exam, I can’t even apply for a job.”
The Exit Exam, held twice annually, is a critical gateway for medical graduates — yet since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, no female applicants have been permitted to sit for it.
In February 2023, the Taliban held the first such exam in Kabul without any female participants, setting a precedent that has remained unchanged.
The exclusion comes amid growing criticism from public health advocates who warn that the country faces a worsening shortage of female doctors. In rural areas especially, cultural norms prevent women from seeking treatment from male physicians, putting lives at risk.
“There are no women doctors here,” said a resident of Farah province. “We used to have two or three female health workers, but now even those clinics have shut down. Our women can’t see male doctors — we’re losing patients because of this.”
The World Health Organization and other agencies have warned that the prohibition on women’s medical education and professional certification is undermining Afghanistan’s health system. According to the United Nations, Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, with 620 deaths per 100,000 live births — more than three times the global average.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have banned women and girls from secondary schools, universities, and most public-sector jobs. They have also prohibited women from working with NGOs and international organizations in many sectors, including health.
Despite repeated appeals from global health institutions and human rights bodies, Taliban have shown no sign of reversing their stance. With no clear pathway to qualification, Afghanistan’s female medical graduates remain sidelined — and its most vulnerable patients, especially women and children, face an increasingly dire future.
