US condemns Taliban banning women from medical training

The State Department on Wednesday condemned the Taliban’s newest order preventing women from studying medical courses, citing years of mistreatment.

“This directive, the latest in a series of efforts that jeopardize the rights and lives of Afghan women and girls, is an unjustifiable attack on women’s access to education and healthcare,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a statement.

Referencing the Taliban's "Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law, instituted in August, the administration claimed the group was seeking to “erase Afghan women and girls from public life."

“Previously issued restrictions have prevented women from both seeking health services from male providers and traveling without a male guardian. These directives, now coupled with excluding women from obtaining a medical education, further jeopardize the health, well-being, safety, and lives of not just Afghan women and girls, but all Afghans,” the secretary of state wrote.

The European Union and World Health Organization (WHO) echoed U.S. concerns flagging the vitality of women health care workers in Afghanistan, a nation now under a militaristic regime following the U.S. withdrawal of troops from the region and the Taliban's takeover in 2021.

Female students were reportedly told not to return to their schools on Wednesday, crippling one of the last avenues for girls to obtain higher education in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has neither confirmed the order nor responded to the reports per The Associated Press, however, WHO officials are working to confirm the claims.

“This development raises serious concerns about the sustainability and appeal of formal education for female health workers,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told the AP. 

“Such measures could have far-reaching implications for the future availability of qualified female health professionals and the continuity of health service delivery in the country," she added.

Blinken said the U.S. will continue to refute the retraction of women’s rights in the region and encourages other countries to do the same.

“The United States remains resolute in its support for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and will continue to stand with all Afghans in advocating for their full, equal, and meaningful participation in all aspects of society,” Blinken said.

“The international community must be united and unequivocal in condemning these actions and in supporting the Afghan people, particularly women and girls, whose rights are being systemically abused," he added.