This was the only path left for girls who had been excluded from other fields, say students in Afghanistan

Summary

The Taliban has banned Afghan women from training as nurses and midwives, further restricting female education and employment opportunities.

The ban applies to all medical institutes, cutting off critical career paths for women and worsening the country’s healthcare crisis, including its high maternal mortality rate.

Female healthcare workers are vital in Afghanistan, where male doctors are often barred from treating women.

The ban has sparked widespread condemnation, with critics calling it “gender apartheid” and warning of severe consequences for women’s health and societal development.