Rawadari: Women’s timely access to healthcare services has faced challenges

Rawadari says that the Taliban’s stricter restrictions, including requiring a male guardian (mahram) and enforcing mandatory dress codes, have forced some female teachers and healthcare workers to leave their jobs.
In a report released today (Wednesday, 26 March), the organization said that women who did not follow the Taliban’s required dress (burqa) or went to work without a mahram have faced harassment, and in some cases, were dismissed from their jobs.
The report states that in one case on 12 February 2025, a female employee at a local organization in Ghor was dismissed by the Taliban for not having a mahram. She was the only provider for her family at the time.
Rawadari added that in Herat and Badghis, the Taliban have dismissed several female midwives, nurses, and vaccinators for not having a mahram.
According to Rawadari, in November 2025, the Taliban banned women from working in private healthcare sectors in Daikundi, including pharmacies, professional services, midwifery, and nursing, and dismissed at least two women.
Challenges in accessing healthcare services
Rawadari said that over the past year, women’s access to healthcare has worsened due to restrictive and discriminatory policies imposed by the Taliban.
The report states that following the Taliban’s rules on dress and having a mahram is now a requirement for receiving medical services, especially in districts and remote areas.
Rawadari added that Taliban morality police regularly monitor health centers and insult or humiliate women who do not have a mahram or proper dress, and prevent them from entering medical facilities.
The report says that in some provinces such as Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan, Herat, Badakhshan, and Parwan, Taliban officials enforce stricter rules on women’s dress and consider any clothing other than the burqa as improper.
Rawadari reported that on 28 November last year, Taliban morality police arrested a male doctor in Ghazni for treating the teeth of two women who did not have a mahram with them, and detained him for one day.
The report also says that in some parts of Afghanistan, including the southwest region, if there are no female doctors, male doctors examine female patients in groups and in the presence of female health staff. If no female staff are present, male doctors are not allowed to examine female patients.
Rawadari said that these restrictions have created serious barriers to equal, effective, and timely access to healthcare for women and have caused some female doctors and nurses to leave their jobs.
According to Rawadari, the number of female doctors and health workers across Afghanistan decreased in 2025 due to these restrictions.
The report also states that last year, the Taliban removed all mental health counseling positions in hospitals, including at least 300 positions held by women.
This comes as Afghanistan’s healthcare sector is already facing serious challenges, including a shortage of specialists and lack of adequate and standard medical facilities.