Afghan Women Reportedly Barred from Midwifery and Nursing Training

Female students pursuing midwifery and nursing programs in Afghanistan informed the BBC that they received directives preventing their return to morning classes, thereby seemingly eliminating their final opportunity for advanced education within the nation. The BBC also received confirmation from five distinct institutions throughout Afghanistan that the Taliban had directed them to cease operations indefinitely. Online videos depicted students weeping upon hearing this information. The BBC has not yet obtained official confirmation of this directive from the Taliban government’s health ministry. Nevertheless, this cessation of classes seems consistent with the group’s broader stance on female schooling, which has prevented adolescent girls from attending secondary and tertiary education since August 2021. The Taliban have consistently pledged that girls would be permitted to return to school once various matters, such as guaranteeing an “Islamic” curriculum, were addressed. This re-entry has not yet materialized. Among the limited educational pathways still accessible to women were the nation’s further education colleges, offering training in nursing or midwifery. These professions represent some of the sole career options available to women under the Taliban government’s limitations, and they are crucial because male medics are prohibited from treating women unless a male guardian is present. Only three months prior, the BBC was granted entry to a Taliban-operated midwife training facility, where over a dozen women in their 20s were acquiring skills in delivering babies. These women expressed contentment at receiving the opportunity to study. A trainee named Safia stated, “My family feels so proud of me. I have left my children at home to come here, but they know I’m serving the country.” However, even at that time, some of the women voiced apprehension regarding the potential eventual cessation of even this educational avenue. The fate of these women, along with an estimated 17,000 other women enrolled in training courses, remains uncertain. No official declaration has been issued, though two sources within the Ministry of Health unofficially verified the prohibition to BBC Afghan. Footage provided to the BBC from other training institutions captured the sound of trainees crying. In one video, a student advised a group of women, “Standing here and crying won’t help. The Vice and Virtue officials [who enforce Taliban rules] are nearby, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of you.” Additional videos shared with the BBC depicted women engaging in quiet protest as they exited the colleges, singing while moving through the corridors. A student in Kabul reported being instructed to “wait until further notice.” She informed the BBC, “Even though it is the end of our semester, exams have not yet been conducted, and we have not been given permission to take them.” Another student disclosed that they “were only given time to grab our bags and leave the classrooms.” She added, “They even told us not to stand in the courtyard because the Taliban could arrive at any moment, and something might happen. Everyone was terrified. For many of us, attending classes was a small glimmer of hope after long periods of unemployment, depression, and isolation at home.” The implications for women’s healthcare are also yet to unfold: last year, the United Nations indicated that Afghanistan required an extra 18,000 midwives to fulfill the nation’s demands. Afghanistan currently experiences one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, as per the World Health Organization (WHO), with a report published last year detailing 620 female deaths per 100,000 live births. Further reporting contributed by BBC Afghan. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.