UNITED NATIONS, Dec 06 : The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has condemned a new ban imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan preventing women and girls from attending private medical institutions, warning that it will have devastating consequences for healthcare \u2013 especially the future availability of midwives and nurses.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s Taliban action removed the last remaining opportunity for women to pursue higher education.<\/p>\n
OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the new directive, which reportedly took effect on Tuesday, as \u201cyet another direct blow\u201d by the de facto authorities against Afghan women and girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is profoundly discriminatory, short-sighted and puts the lives of women and girls at risk in multiple ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Afghanistan already suffers from one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world and there are deep concerns that that the ban would further erode women\u2019s precarious access to healthcare.<\/p>\n
It will also prevent a new generation of nurses and midwives from receiving training.<\/p>\n
Under Taliban rules, male medical staff are prohibited from treating women unless accompanied by a male relative, making the presence of female healthcare workers critical.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, two of Afghanistan\u2019s top cricket stars \u2014 Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi \u2014 have called on the Taliban to reverse a decision to bar women from education and medicine, terming the move \u201cdeeply unjust\u201d.<\/p>\n
In her comments, Ms. Shamdasani also noted that the new directive not only blocks the remaining path for Afghan women to pursue higher education but also undermines the country\u2019s overall healthcare system.<\/p>\n
Urging the Taliban authorities to repeal the harmful directive, she stressed: \u201cIt is high time women and girls\u2019 human rights are ensured, in line with Afghanistan\u2019s international human rights obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also expressed deep concerns over the directive, stating that, it posed \u201cfurther restrictions\u201d on women and girls\u2019 rights to education and access to healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, it will have a detrimental impact on Afghanistan\u2019s healthcare system and on the country\u2019s development,\u201d the Mission said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur \u2013 or independent expert \u2013 on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, described the ban as \u201cinexplicable and unjustifiable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c[It will] have devastating impact on entire population if implemented and must be reversed,\u201d he said in a post on the social media platform X.<\/p>\n
In his post on X, Afghanistan\u2019s T20 Caption Rashid Khan said, \u201cEducation holds a central place in Islamic teachings, emphasizing the pursuit of knowledge for both men and women. The (holy) Quran highlights the importance of learning and acknowledges the equal spiritual worth of both genders.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few hours after Rashid\u2019s outpouring of concern and support, former Captain Mohammad Nabi, too, raised the issue on X.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Taliban\u2019s decision to ban girls from studying medicine is not only heartbreaking but deeply unjust,\u201d Nabi wrote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 06 : The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has condemned a new ban imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan preventing women and girls from attending private medical institutions, warning that it will have devastating consequences for healthcare \u2013 especially the future availability […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":116570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[270,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","category-latest-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n