Women studying midwifery and nursing in Afghanistan have been told not to return to their institutions, effectively halting their education. The Taliban has ordered at least five institutions across the country to close, with videos online showing students crying as they received the news.
Education Closure Aligns With Taliban Policies
Although no formal announcement has been made by the Taliban’s Ministry of Health, the move aligns with the group’s restrictive policies on female education. Since August 2021, teenage girls have been barred from secondary and higher education. Despite repeated promises to reopen schools under “Islamic” curricula, these pledges remain unfulfilled.
Midwifery: A Critical Role Now Under Threat
Nursing and midwifery programs were among the few educational opportunities left for Afghan women. These careers are vital in Afghanistan, where male medics cannot treat female patients without a male guardian present. A recent UN report stated that Afghanistan requires 18,000 additional midwives to meet healthcare needs, with maternal mortality rates already among the highest globally.
Women Devastated by Sudden Ban
Students have expressed deep distress over the closure. Videos shared with the News Channels show women weeping and quietly protesting as they leave their classrooms. In one video, a student urges her peers not to linger in the courtyard, fearing Taliban enforcement officials.
For many students, these programs represented their last hope for a meaningful future. “Attending classes gave us hope amid unemployment, depression, and isolation,” one student told the Media . Another described the abruptness of the closure: “We were told to grab our bags and leave. We couldn’t even stay in the courtyard out of fear something might happen.”Afghanistan already has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world
Uncertain Future for Women’s Healthcare
The immediate impact of the ban on healthcare is unclear, but the long-term consequences could be devastating. Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate stands at 620 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the worst in the world according to the World Health Organization.
This latest restriction underscores the Taliban’s intensifying crackdown on women’s rights, eliminating nearly all avenues for education, employment, and independence for Afghan women.
