The UK Government is greatly concerned by reports of the Taliban’s latest decision to suspend medical education for women and girls in Afghanistan. Courses in nursing, midwifery, and dentistry were some of the few educational avenues left open to women under the Taliban’s oppressive regime, and their removal is an appalling violation of fundamental human rights. Afghanistan is the only country imposing such restrictive policies on girls’ education, this latest decision is a further tragic setback.
We call, in the strongest terms, for the Taliban to allow women to access medical education. Such a draconian policy will severely undermine the provision of healthcare to women and children. It will have serious long-term implications and threaten the health and lives of many Afghans who will be denied critical medical care in a country with high levels of maternal and infant mortality. This will have serious consequences for generations to come.
The international community must remain united in our firm opposition to continued Taliban restrictions. We remain committed in our efforts to lobby to this end and call on other countries to prioritise this issue. We will continue to engage with the women and girls of Afghanistan, as well as diaspora in the UK, to ensure their needs and priorities inform our policy and programming.
The future of Afghanistan as a country at peace with itself, its neighbours, and the international community, relies on there being human rights for all.
