Ban On Women’s Medical Education Endangers Afghanistan's Healthcare System, Says UNICEF
UNICEF expressed concern regarding the Taliban's decision to ban women and girls from studying in medical fields.
UNICEF expressed concern regarding the Taliban's decision to ban women and girls from studying in medical fields.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued a statement warning that the Taliban's move would halt the education of thousands of women and disrupt their access to health services.
UNICEF on Thursday (December 5) expressed deep concern over the Taliban's decision and its far-reaching consequences, including worsening humanitarian crisis and increasing hardships for the Afghan people.
UNICEF said that it was confirming various reports about the closure of medical education facilities by the Taliban.
In the statement, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that the ban could lead to an immediate halt to medical education for thousands of women and severely disrupt women's and girls' access to health services.
She stressed that such a decision would have far-reaching consequences for women's rights and Afghanistan's public health.
Russell emphasised that without female providers, women are less likely to seek prenatal care during pregnancy and are less likely to deliver their babies safely in clinics. "In a country where women and children depend on female health professionals for critical care, cutting off the chain of healthcare endangers the future of lives," she said.
UNICEF has called for the decision to be reversed and for women to continue to have access to medical education. The organisation stressed that the full participation of male and female professionals is essential for the future of Afghanistan's health system.
The UNICEF statement said that Afghanistan is currently facing a severe shortage of trained health workers, especially women. The organisation said that women's health professionals play a vital role in ensuring that children receive adequate maternal care, that children are vaccinated and that communities have access to essential health services.
The Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women over the past three years. The group has closed girls' schools above the sixth grade and banned girls from going to university. Also, the Taliban has banned women from going to parks, restaurants, traveling, sports, and working in non-governmental organisations.
The Taliban's recent decision to ban the education of women and girls in medical fields has sparked widespread reactions.
Human rights organisations and women's rights advocates have condemned the Taliban's move and called on the group to provide education for women and girls.
The Taliban has not yet provided an official explanation for the closure of medical institutions to girls.
