Afghan Women
Since 2021, the Taliban have ordered the closing down of various secondary and higher education institutions to bar women from accessing education. Wakil Kohsar/Getty Images

Women in Afghanistan receiving education to become nurses and midwives have been told not to return to classes by the Taliban government, further restricting access to higher education for women in the country.

Institutions in Afghanistan offering such education to women have been instructed to cease operations and shut down, five institutions confirmed to the BBC.

The Taliban government's health ministry has yet to officially confirm the developments.

Since 2021, the Taliban have ordered the closing down of various secondary and higher education institutions to bar women from accessing education. These institutions have reportedly still not re-opened despite promises to readmit women once the curriculum has been altered to be more "Islamic."

Attending school in order to learn about becoming a nurse or midwife was one of the last remaining avenues through which young women could hope to further their education.

"Standing here and crying won't help," a student tells a group of women in one video sent to the BBC, showing students crying at the news. "The Vice and Virtue officials (who enforce Taliban rules) are nearby, and I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you."

"Even though it is the end of our semester, exams have not yet been conducted, and we have not been given permission to take them," one student told the BBC.

"They even told us not to stand in the courtyard because the Taliban could arrive at any moment, and something might happen. Everyone was terrified," another student told the outlet. "For many of us, attending classes was a small glimmer of hope after long periods of unemployment, depression, and isolation at home."

The United Nations previously stated in August that Afghanistan was in need of at least 18,000 additional midwives, while the World Health Organization reported last year that the nation was seeing 620 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Originally published by Latin Times.

Afghanistan