Contradictory Taliban Policies: Restrictions on Women’s Access to Healthcare Remain Despite Announced Lifting

While the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue in Herat announced that the ban on women entering hospitals without a burqa has been lifted, local reports indicate that these restrictions are still effectively in place…

Reliable local reports indicate that the Taliban’s severe restrictions on women entering hospitals continue in the city of Herat, despite the announcement of the lifting of the order by this group’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue.

Preventing Entry of Patients without Burqa

Local sources in Herat told the media that Taliban forces, present at the entrance of the city’s central hospital, do not allow patients who are not wearing a burqa to enter. This has raised serious concerns regarding women’s access to healthcare services in this province.

A female doctor also reacted to this situation in a post shared on social media. She wrote: I too went back today… I put on a burqa and entered, just so I could work. This note highlights the pressure being exerted on female employees in the health sector.

Contradiction in Taliban Orders

The enforcement of these restrictions is in stark contrast to the announcement made last night by the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue in Herat. This ministry stated last night that the ban on women entering hospitals without a burqa has been lifted. However, this lifting lasted only a few hours, and it was reported this morning that the virtue enforcement agents of this group arrested a female doctor at her workplace for not wearing a burqa.

It is worth mentioning that the Taliban have declared the entry of women without a burqa prohibited in all offices related to this group in Herat, and these restrictions are now being strictly enforced in the city’s most important health centers.