Afghan Women Deserve Better

December 2024 has begun with yet another grim blow to Afghanistan’s already deteriorating human rights situation. In the first week, the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) banned older girls and women from attending medical training institutions. The decree, issued by the Taliban supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and communicated during a Ministry of Public Health meeting, underscores the regime’s systematic dismantling of women’s rights. This move affects over 35000 women enrolled in health institutions, one of the last educational avenues, and worsens the country’s already struggling health sector.

The Question of Rights for Women and Girls

Since their return to power on August 15, 2021, the AIG has implemented policies that stripped women and girls of fundamental rights, including education, freedom of movement, speech, and access to healthcare. Secondary education for girls beyond sixth grade was banned in September 2021, followed by the prohibition of higher education for women in December 2022. The AIG has repeatedly promised they would be readmitted to school once several issues were resolved – including ensuring the curriculum was “Islamic”. This has yet to happen. Even recreational freedoms, such as visiting parks or gyms for women, have been denied.

However, any analysis of women’s rights in Afghanistan must consider the broader societal context, including the historical and cultural divides between rural and urban areas.

During the United States-backed governments in Afghanistan, educational progress for women was primarily concentrated in urban centers, while rural areas—where Afghan society remains deeply rooted in traditional values—saw limited change. Historically, women’s education and rights have often been leveraged as political tools by successive Afghan governments to negotiate with the international community. This pattern persists today, influencing how rights-based policies are framed.

Also See: Malala Yousafzai calls for global support for women in Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Healthcare Sector Under Threat: Impact of AIG Policies

The latest ban on attending medical training institutions exacerbates an already dire situation, as women in some provinces are also prohibited from being treated by male healthcare professionals. By halting the training of female healthcare workers, the AIG has effectively ensured a worsening healthcare crisis for Afghan women, leaving many without access to essential medical services and increasing preventable suffering and mortality.

Moreover, Afghanistan’s healthcare sector, already one of the most fragile in the world, is poised to collapse further. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Afghanistan has one of the worst maternal mortality rates globally, with 620 women dying per 100,000 live births. The United Nations reported that the country needs an additional 18,000 midwives to meet its healthcare needs. By halting the training of female healthcare workers, the AIG has doomed countless Afghan women to medical neglect in a male-dominated society where access to male doctors is severely restricted.

Global Outcry Against AIG Ban on Women Medical Training

Amid this grim backdrop, international responses have been noteworthy. Many human rights advocates and foreign diplomats have condemned the directive. Amnesty International condemned the AIG’s recent decision to prohibit women from pursuing medical and semi-professional education, including nursing and midwifery, calling it part of a “systematic attack” on women and girls based solely on their gender. In a glimmer of hope, International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan announced plans to seek arrest warrants for crimes committed in Afghanistan. This development signals potential steps toward holding the Afghan Interim Government accountable and addressing the pervasive impunity for their actions against women and girls. Still, the path to justice is long and fraught with challenges.

Regional Instability: AIG Policies and Cross-Border Effects

Meanwhile, the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) recently chose not to invite Afghanistan to its latest meeting, held on December 2nd and 3rd. The ECO, founded in 1985 by Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan, aims to promote economic, trade, and cultural collaboration. It expanded in 1992 to include Afghanistan and seven other Central and South Asian countries. With its 10 member states, the ECO plays a key role in fostering regional cooperation in sectors like transportation, tourism, and environmental sustainability—areas highlighted for discussion in this meeting. Although Afghanistan has been a member since 1992, its exclusion from this meeting underscores the complex dynamics between Afghanistan’s political status and regional cooperation efforts.

Afghanistan’s absence raises important questions about the region’s capacity for collaboration, considering the country’s critical geographic and economic role.

Afghanistan’s absence from this meeting reflects ongoing concerns about its political and economic governance under the Taliban. While ECO member states continue to engage with Afghanistan on regional matters such as trade and environmental issues, the absence of the Afghan government in such meetings highlights the de facto diplomatic isolation that the country faces. The exclusion appears more aligned with the realities of Afghanistan’s current governance and its ability to meet international standards of engagement, rather than a direct statement on its internal policies regarding women.

The AIG’s actions are not only a grave violation of human rights but also a direct threat to regional stability. Pakistan, in particular, bears the brunt of the Taliban’s rise, facing a resurgence of militant violence attributed to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist groups operating from Afghan soil. Islamabad has resorted to airstrikes, transit trade restrictions, and refugee expulsions in an attempt to compel Kabul to rein in cross-border terrorism. However, AIG leaders have shown little inclination to act, despite Pakistan’s repeated warnings and coercive measures.

The Way Forward

The international community must address these intersecting crises with urgency and resolve. The AIG’s policies pertaining to the women demand a robust, unified response, including targeted sanctions, international isolation, and increased support for Afghan civil society and diaspora groups advocating for women’s rights. Simultaneously, regional stakeholders must prioritize counterterrorism cooperation to curb the spread of extremist violence.

Nevertheless, long-term progress must also involve engaging with Afghan society at large, recognizing the deeply rooted cultural dynamics and working with local leaders, including religious scholars, to promote women’s rights in a manner that resonates with traditional values.

Afghanistan’s women, among the country’s most vulnerable citizens, deserve more than the world’s silence. The global community must find a way to support meaningful progress—one that respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty, while ensuring that the rights of women are never sacrificed at the altar of political expediency.

SAT Editorial Desk

Your go-to editorial hub for policy perspectives and informed analysis on pressing regional and global issues.

South Asia Times