KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s decision to suspend medical education for women and girls has ignited outrage and condemnation from international rights groups, the EU, politicians, and activists, all of whom are demanding its immediate revocation.
In its latest restriction on women’s rights, the Taliban ordered all private and public educational institutions in Afghanistan to suspend medical education for women and girls. Officials from the regime’s Ministry of Public Health announced the decision on Tuesday, instructing institutions to inform female students to “remain home until further notice.”
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, December 4, Amnesty International stated that the right to education is a fundamental human right, which the Taliban continues to blatantly violate with one draconian policy after another.
“Yet another preposterous directive from the Taliban banning women from attending medical and semi-professional education, including nursing and midwifery, is the latest draconian action against women and girls,” Amnesty International said. The rights group warned that this decision will have devastating consequences for the health of women in a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.
Amnesty International urged the Taliban to reverse all restrictions imposed on women over the past three years and allow women and girls to live and enjoy their human rights without fear, intimidation, or forced exclusion.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warns that the Taliban’s latest restriction will cause unnecessary pain, suffering, illness, and death for women, as they will be unable to access healthcare.
In a statement on Tuesday, HRW highlighted that in some provinces, women are already prohibited from being treated by male medical professionals. With the new restriction, women will be completely left without access to essential healthcare.
The right group expressed hope that the Taliban would be held accountable for their crimes against women and girls, referencing a recent statement by International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan, who announced that arrest warrants related to Afghanistan would soon be issued.
The European Union (EU) described the Taliban’s latest restriction as yet another “appalling violation” of fundamental human rights and an “unjustifiable attack” on women’s access to education in Afghanistan.
“The European Union expresses its strong concerns over this decision and its far-reaching implication, including the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the exacerbation of the suffering of its people,” part of the EU statement reads.
“Women’s participation in education and in the workforce is not just a matter of equality — it is essential for the self-sufficiency, development, and prosperity of any nation,” it added.
The EU has urged the Taliban authorities to reverse this “discriminatory policy” and honor their commitments under international law, including ensuring equal access to education and healthcare for all Afghans.
“We remain committed to supporting women and girls, and all those whose rights are persistently violated in Afghanistan,” the EU said.
Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, has also expressed concern over the Taliban’s latest restriction on women, emphasizing that Afghanistan cannot achieve self-sufficiency and prosperity without skilled and educated individuals, both men and women.
In a post in Persian on X today, December 4, Karzai appealed to the Taliban, stating, “I urge the caretaker Islamic government [Taliban] to immediately lift the ban on women studying at medical institutions and reopen schools and universities to them.”
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has imposed rules that systematically violate the rights of women and girls in nearly all aspects of their lives. The Taliban has barred women and girls from attending schools and universities, restricted their freedom of movement and speech, limited their participation in public life, prohibited them from traveling long distances alone, and even banned them from participating in sports or walking in parks.
Despite numerous calls from around the world, including from Islamic countries and organizations, for the Taliban to uphold women’s rights and lift the bans, the regime remained unmoved. The Taliban rejects criticism of their policies, particularly those impacting women and girls, labeling it as interference. The regime maintains that its actions align with their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.
