The United Nations Security Council expressed significant concern on Friday regarding the recent directive from Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership that prohibits women from pursuing medical education, which threatens the future health care options for millions of females in the country.
In a statement, the council highlighted the “growing erosion” of human rights under Taliban rule, pointing specifically to the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls. These restrictions have included bans on educational opportunities beyond the sixth grade, limitations on economic prospects, and curbs on their involvement in public life, along with restraints on their freedom of movement and other fundamental rights.
While earlier reports indicated that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had ordered educational institutions to halt medical training for women, official confirmation from authorities was lacking. It’s important to note that under current Afghan health regulations, women and girls can only receive medical care from female healthcare providers.
In a resolution passed unanimously, the Security Council condemned both the ban on medical education for women and the Taliban’s “vice and virtue” decree introduced in August, which imposes further restrictions on women’s rights, including efforts to silence their public voices.
The resolution also renewed the mandate for a U.N. expert team tasked with monitoring sanctions against the Taliban for an extended period of 14 months.
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew after two decades of military engagement. Internationally, no country has officially acknowledged the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
The U.N. has indicated that formal recognition of the Taliban-led government remains unlikely until the bans on female education and employment are lifted and regulations allowing women to leave their homes without a male guardian are eliminated.
According to Roza Otunbayeva, the U.N. special envoy for Afghanistan, during her address to the council this week, women and girls are experiencing a systematic exclusion from virtually all aspects of society.
She expressed that the recent decision enacted in early September, which stops female students from enrolling in medical schools and higher education, would lead to dire outcomes. “If fully implemented, this would have devastating impacts not only on women and girls but on men and boys, entire communities, and the country overall—by undermining a health care system that should be accessible to all Afghans,” she stated.
Otunbayeva urged the Taliban authorities to reverse their decision and reconsider their policies regarding women’s rights.
