Afghanistan: Demand to withdraw ban on women’s medical training

UN Office spokesperson Raveena Shamdasani, in a statement issued by High Commissioner Turk on Thursday, described this step of the Taleban administration as extremely discriminatory and warned that it would pose many risks to the lives of women and girls. According to the UN Human Rights Office, this is the latest in a long list of state-sponsored discriminatory decisions, through which women and girls have been targeted in education, work and other areas.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that such steps By taking over, an attempt is being made to completely take control of the future of Afghanistan. The Taleban in Afghanistan in August The situation for women’s rights has deteriorated rapidly since Afghanistan was seized power in 2021. Women’s rights are being attacked. Their basic rights and freedoms are being denied, including education, work, physical and mental health, mobility, fear. freedom from discrimination, and the right to be free from discrimination. Girls have been excluded from secondary education and women are already banned from studying at universities. Women and girls are banned from visiting amusement parks, public bathrooms, gyms, sports clubs, and the dress code for women and girls is strictly enforced in the country. They are not allowed to travel long distances without a male companion. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights made it clear in its statement that this lockdown decision will also close the only path to higher education for women and girls. This will impact the availability of female midwives, nurses and doctors in the country, which is already low. “This decision will limit the opportunities for women and girls who are already at risk to access health care. Since male medical staff are prohibited from treating women without the presence of a male partner.” The welfare of the entire population is important According to the Human Rights Office, Afghanistan already has a high rate of maternal mortality and it is therefore important that the health sector Their presence should be maintained. He said that such steps are taken by men without any transparency and no one else has any stake in this process. Through these, efforts are made to directly keep women and girls out of public life. The UN office has pointed out that it is the responsibility of the ruling Taleban to take care of the welfare, safety and security of the entire population of the country. UN High Commissioner Volker Turk has urged the Taleban that this harmful directive needs to be withdrawn. Now the time has come for Afghanistan to fulfill its international human rights obligations and ensure the human rights of women and girls.

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