Taliban’s Burqa Mandate Causes 28% Drop in Women’s Hospital Visits in Herat

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has reported a significant 28% drop in women visiting its hospitals in Herat following the Taliban’s decree mandating the burqa for women and girls in the province.

Sudden Decree and Decline in Hospital Visits

MSF has published a statement on its website outlining the severe impact of the Taliban’s new directive on women’s access to healthcare services in Herat. The organization highlighted a drastic reduction in female patients seeking medical assistance at its facilities following the enforced requirement for women to wear the burqa when leaving their homes.

Residents of Herat have reported that for about ten days, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has instructed women and girls not to leave their homes without the burqa.

Direct Effects of Restrictions on Essential Services

In its statement, MSF emphasized that this sudden announcement adds yet another barrier to women’s participation in daily life. The organization noted that this decision exacerbates existing obstacles that limit women’s access to essential healthcare services. Research conducted by MSF indicates that from November 5 to November 7, there was a 28% decrease in women visiting its hospitals. This statistic highlights the direct consequences of the Taliban’s restrictions on the physical and mental health of women in Herat.

Continued Severe Restrictions on Women’s Lives

Since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed stringent and ongoing restrictions across nearly all areas of Afghan women and girls’ lives, including education, daily mobility, and employment. These limitations have consistently drawn widespread criticism and protests from international human rights organizations.