Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The UN Security Council has strongly criticised the Taliban’s decision to ban women from medical education in Afghanistan, warning that this policy threatens to leave millions of women and girls without essential health care in the future.
In a statement issued Friday, the council expressed deep concern over “the increasing erosion” of human rights in Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls. Under the Taliban’s rule, women have been barred from education beyond the sixth grade, restricted from economic opportunities, public life, and freedom of movement.
Reports emerged earlier this year that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had directed educational institutions to stop offering medical courses for women. Afghan women and girls rely exclusively on female doctors and health professionals due to cultural and religious practices, intensifying fears of a healthcare crisis in the country.
The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday, condemning not only the education ban but also a Taliban decree from August that curtails women’s rights further, including banning their voices from being heard in public spaces.
The resolution also extended the mandate of the UN expert team monitoring sanctions against the Taliban for an additional 14 months.
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces after two decades of war. Despite holding power, the regime has yet to receive official recognition from any country. The UN has made it clear that recognition is unattainable as long as the bans on female education and employment remain and restrictions on women’s public mobility persist.
Roza Otunbayeva, the UN’s special envoy for Afghanistan, highlighted the dire situation in a briefing to the council earlier this week. She noted that women and girls in Afghanistan face “progressive erasure from almost all walks of life.” She also warned of the grave consequences stemming from the Taliban’s decision to bar female students from attending medical institutes and higher education classes.
This escalating repression continues to draw global condemnation, with calls for urgent action to protect the rights and futures of Afghan women and girls.
