In brief
Afghan women have been ordered to stop attending midwife and nursing courses as the Taliban continues to enforce educational restrictions, leaving many in despair over their future and the country's healthcare needs.
Women aspiring to become midwives and nurses in Afghanistan face a heart-wrenching setback as they have been instructed not to return to their educational institutions by the Taliban. This directive effectively closes off one of the last available pathways for women seeking higher education in the country. Five colleges across Afghanistan confirmed to the BBC that they were ordered to cease operations until further notice, with distressing videos of students sobbing emerging on social media platforms.While the Taliban's Health Ministry has yet to officially acknowledge this ban, the action appears consistent with their broader campaign against female education that has prevented teenage girls from accessing secondary and higher education since the group's return to power in August 2021. The Taliban has long asserted that girls would be allowed to return to school once certain issues, including the introduction of an "Islamic" curriculum, were sorted out, although this has yet to materialize.Midwifery and nursing had remained among the few education routes for women under Taliban rule, which has placed severe restrictions on women's careers—given that male doctors are unable to treat female patients without a male guardian present. Just three months back, the BBC was granted access to a Taliban-managed midwifery training center where numerous women were being trained to deliver babies, with participants expressing pride in their education.However, uncertainty looms for these women and the estimated 17,000 others enrolled in training programs. Though no formal announcements have been made regarding their future, off-the-record sources within the Ministry of Health confirmed the ban to BBC Afghan. Clips sent to the BBC from training institutions show students voicing their concerns, with one pleading, "Crying won’t help," as vice and virtue officials lurked nearby.A Kabul student described how they were abruptly told to leave class without sufficient time, fearing repercussions for remaining. With exams looming at the end of the semester uncompleted, students expressed that attending classes had been a beacon of hope amid prolonged periods of depression and isolation at home.The future implications for women's healthcare are uncertain. Last year, the United Nations identified a need for an additional 18,000 midwives in Afghanistan, a nation that possesses one of the highest maternal mortality rates worldwide according to the World Health Organization, which reported alarming statistics of 620 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The continuing limitations on women’s education and healthcare workforce adds yet another layer of concern to an already desperate situation.
