Taliban bans women from studying nursing and midwifery

Women in Afghanistan will no longer be allowed to attend nursing and midwifery classes following an edict issued by the Taliban’s supreme leader, according to senior employees at institutions offering these courses.

Health officials conveyed the directive during a meeting with institute directors in Kabul on Monday, December 2, a public health ministry official told AFP. The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said, “There is no official letter, but the directors of institutes were informed in a meeting that women and girls can’t study anymore in their institutes. They were not provided with any details and justification and were just told of the order of the supreme leader and were asked to implement it.”

The ruling, which lacks formal documentation, has caused confusion among educational institutions. While some managers sought clarity from the health ministry, others have continued operations as usual, pending a written directive.

The ban marks another devastating blow to women’s education in Afghanistan, which has been increasingly restricted since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls have already been barred from secondary schools and universities, forcing many to pursue health-related studies as one of the few remaining educational options.

Women now account for the majority of students in Afghanistan’s health institutes, which include 10 public and over 150 private institutions offering two-year diplomas in fields such as midwifery, anaesthesia, pharmacy, and dentistry. These institutes collectively serve around 35,000 women students.

Institute managers expressed concerns about the impact of the ban. “What are we supposed to do with just 10 percent of our students?” one manager questioned.

Aysha, a 28-year-old midwifery teacher in Kabul, said she was told by her institute’s management not to report to work until further notice. “This is a big shock for us. Psychologically, we are shaken. This was the only source of hope for the girls and women who were banned from universities,” she said.

The United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires called the reports “deeply concerning,” stating on social media that the decision represents “another affront to women’s right to education” and would further restrict healthcare access for Afghan women and children.

The ban is expected to exacerbate the country’s already critical shortage of medical and para-medical professionals. “We are already short of professional medical and para-medical staff, and this would result in further shortages,” the health ministry source warned. The Taliban’s actions continue to draw widespread condemnation as they deepen what the United Nations has termed “gender apartheid.”