Taliban Bans Women From Studying Nursing, Midwifery in Afghanistan

The Taliban has issued a new directive barring women from studying nursing and midwifery, senior employees at Afghan training institutions confirmed on Tuesday. This decision, reportedly delivered by Taliban health officials during meetings in Kabul, extends the regime’s ongoing restrictions on women’s education, which the United Nations has described as “gender apartheid.”

Health ministry officials informed institute directors of the ban during a meeting on Monday, according to a ministry source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The directive, attributed to the Taliban’s supreme leader, was conveyed verbally without a formal written order or justification. Institute managers were instructed to implement the ban, leaving many in shock and confusion.

One manager, speaking anonymously due to fear of reprisal, said directors were given 10 days to conduct final exams for students already enrolled. Others reported ongoing uncertainty, as no official documents had been issued. Some institutes petitioned the health ministry for clarification, while others continued operations as usual.

Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has systematically dismantled women’s access to education and work. Girls have been banned from secondary schools and universities, leaving health institutes as one of the last remaining educational opportunities for women. Consequently, women make up the majority of the 35,000 students enrolled in Afghanistan’s health institutes, which include 10 public and more than 150 private institutions offering two-year diplomas in midwifery, pharmacy, dentistry, and other health-related fields.

The ban has drawn international condemnation. The United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires to Afghanistan expressed deep concern, warning that the decision would exacerbate the country’s already strained healthcare system. “This is another affront to women’s right to education and will further restrict access to healthcare for Afghan women and children,” he stated on the social media platform X.

Health officials have also warned of dire consequences for Afghanistan’s healthcare sector, which is already grappling with a severe shortage of medical staff. The loss of thousands of women healthcare students could lead to critical gaps in service delivery, especially for Afghan women and children who rely on female health professionals for care.

For many women, the decision has been devastating. Aysha, a midwifery teacher in Kabul, said she received a message from her institute’s management instructing her not to return to work until further notice. “This was the only source of hope for the girls and women who were banned from universities,” she said, describing the ban as a psychological blow.

“What are we supposed to do with just 10 percent of our students?” one institute manager asked, highlighting the grim reality for health education institutions now forced to exclude the majority of their students.

As the ban takes effect, it threatens to worsen the plight of Afghan women, who have seen their opportunities for education, employment, and independence steadily eroded under the Taliban’s rule.