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The Taliban movement, which is in power in Afghanistan, is introducing regulations that contradict Islamic traditions and restrict women’s rights. This was stated by the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, at a meeting of the UN Security Council on 10 March, the UN News Service reports.
According to her, numerous prohibitions for Afghan women, including denial of access to education, have no basis in Islam.
Closure of medical institutions for women
Otunbayeva expressed regret that on 2 December 2024, the Afghan Ministry of Health effectively closed medical institutes for women and girls, eliminating the last opportunity for them to receive professional education.
According to the UN, this decision will lead to an even greater shortage of qualified medical personnel, which will worsen the situation in the country’s healthcare system.
“This will also lead to a further increase in maternal and child mortality rates, which are already among the highest in the world,” the UN representative said.
Taliban ignore international commitments
The UN has concluded that the current Afghan government is “selective in its approach to its international obligations”, rejecting those that it considers “infringe on the country’s sovereignty” or “contradict its traditions”.
Meanwhile, violations of women’s rights continue.
Since 2021, when the Taliban came back to power, the country has been under attack:
– Women were banned from playing sports, heading ministries and acting in TV dramas.
– Schools for girls were closed and they were banned from studying at universities.
– The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was abolished and replaced by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtues and Avoidance of Vice.
– They closed women’s beauty salons and banned women from praying and reading the Koran aloud.
– In February 2025, the last women’s radio station in Afghanistan was shut down.
From “moderate policies” to total bans
When the Taliban regained power in 2021, they promised not to restore harsh orders. However, reality has shown the opposite.
The UN and human rights organisations have repeatedly called on the Taliban to change its policy towards women, but their appeals are ignored.
The movement, which initially claimed to have a “renewed” approach to governance, has actually returned the country to the strict norms of Sharia in its most radical interpretation.
What’s next?
Afghanistan remains the worst country in the world for women, according to UN estimates.
The closure of medical institutes and the absence of women in the healthcare system could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, and the regime’s international isolation could lead to an even deeper crisis.
The UN continues to put pressure on the Taliban, but so far to no avail. The question is whether the international community will be able to find effective leverage to change the situation.
