The Taliban's supreme leader has issued an edict banning women from studying nursing and midwifery in Afghanistan.
This decision, communicated during a meeting in Kabul on December 2, 2024, was relayed to institute directors without any formal documentation, leaving many educational institutions in confusion.
According to a public health ministry official, "There is no official letter, but the directors of institutes were informed in a meeting that women and girls can’t study anymore in their institutes."
This ban represents another significant setback for women's education in Afghanistan, which has faced increasing restrictions since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Women currently make up the majority of students in Afghanistan’s health institutes, with over 35,000 women enrolled in programs such as midwifery, anaesthesia, pharmacy, and dentistry across more than 160 institutions.
The new restriction is expected to exacerbate the country's already critical shortage of medical and para-medical professionals.
Aysha, a 28-year-old midwifery teacher in Kabul, expressed her dismay, stating, "This is a big shock for us. Psychologically, we are shaken.
This was the only source of hope for the girls and women who were banned from universities."
The United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires also voiced concern, describing the decision as "another affront to women’s right to education" and warning that it would further restrict healthcare access for Afghan women and children.
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