KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights for Afghanistan, says that women and girls in Afghanistan continue to face serious barriers in accessing healthcare.
Mr. Bennett said today (Tuesday, April 7), on the occasion of World Health Day, that the Taliban’s restrictions on the movement and education of female health workers have weakened the healthcare system and led to preventable deaths.
Richard Bennett added that “Afghanistan’s obligations under int law incl the right to health remain binding.” He said, however, that women and girls in Afghanistan face serious obstacles to receiving care due to discriminatory policies, a shortage of female staff, and restrictions on education and movement.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights emphasized that urgent action is necessary to protect rights and save lives.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions on fundamental freedoms and women’s rights. The group has even banned women from studying in medical institutes and has instructed healthcare centers in some provinces not to treat women without a male guardian.
Additionally, two months ago, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities in Afghanistan had been banned, as restrictions on women and humanitarian access had intensified across the country.
The agency noted that women, who were heavily reliant on these community-based services, were disproportionately affected by their suspension, further limiting their access to essential support.
The report stated that although women were formally allowed to visit healthcare facilities, in some areas they had been required to be accompanied by a male guardian.
It also highlighted additional restrictions, including difficulties in obtaining work permits for health and education staff, limits on female health workers’ use of mobile phones, and increasing interference with humanitarian operations. Aid workers had reportedly faced harassment, temporary detention, and demands for additional documentation at checkpoints, while house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns had not been permitted.
UN experts, international rights groups, and activists have described the Taliban’s systematic oppression of women as “gender apartheid,” an institutionalized system that subjugates women solely because of their gender. Despite international pressure, including from Muslim-majority countries and global organizations, the Taliban have refused to reverse the restrictions, leaving millions uncertain about their future.
The UN and rights groups emphasize that Afghanistan’s development and prosperity are closely tied to women’s participation in education, work, and public life. Restricting these opportunities not only violates basic human rights but also hampers economic growth, innovation, and the country’s ability to recover from decades of conflict.
These ongoing restrictions not only undermine the basic human rights of women and girls but also pose a significant threat to the overall public health system in Afghanistan, increasing the risk of preventable illnesses, maternal mortality, and long-term health crises across the country.
