The Afghanistan Women Foundation strongly condemns the recent decision by the Taliban to ban women and girls from pursuing education in the country’s medical institutes. This decision, following the earlier prohibition of girls from attending schools and universities, is yet another blatant violation of Afghan women’s fundamental rights and will have catastrophic consequences for access to healthcare services in the country.

By implementing this ban, the Taliban have once again demonstrated that their restrictive policies against women are systematically designed to erase them from educational, professional, and social spheres. This prohibition not only infringes on women’s inherent right to education but also has far-reaching implications for public health. Currently, over 85% of maternal and neonatal healthcare services in Afghanistan are provided by midwives, and in their absence, particularly in a context where Afghan women and children desperately need healthcare, this decision will exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian and health crisis in the country.

This unprecedented restriction, decreed by the Taliban leader, not only contradicts human rights principles and Islamic teachings but also starkly contrasts with the Taliban’s repeated promises that these bans were temporary. Now, more than three years since the onset of these restrictions, no meaningful steps have been taken to lift them, and the Taliban’s assurances have proven to be little more than deception aimed at placating the international community.

The Afghanistan Women Foundation calls on the United Nations, human rights organizations, and the international community to:

• Condemn the Taliban’s actions as gender-based apartheid.
• Utilize all diplomatic and legal tools to ensure Afghan women’s right to education is upheld.
• Take concrete and immediate measures to support girls and women who have been denied access to education and social participation.

We reaffirm that education is a fundamental and inalienable right, and no justification can legitimize its denial to Afghan women and girls. The global community must not remain silent in the face of such extensive violations of human rights.