Background and History of Afghanistan:
Women's Access to Healthcare Services Under the Taliban

In September of 1996, hours after entering Kabul, Taliban severely limited women’s access to healthcare. The Taliban supreme council issued an edict forbidding female healthcare providers from working outside the house. Other edicts called for closure of all local bath houses for females, prohibited male healthcare providers from treating female patients unless accompanied by a male relative, and forbid male physicians from examining and touching female patients.

38 Months later, another edict called for closure of all local hospitals for females. This edict was executed in September of 1997, and all public hospitals ceased services to female patients. Women were only allowed to seek medical treatment from one designated hospital, Rabia Balkhi, which only had a few inexperienced female doctors, limited number of beds, little equipment, no medical supplies, and no electricity or running water.

After a few months of pressure from the international community, the Taliban allowed some of the hospitals for women to re-open. These hospitals were completely segregated from male healthcare facilities. In addition, a small percentage of female health workers were permitted to work in the healthcare facilities for women. Forbiddance of women and girls from workforce and school forced the majority of female doctors and other professional to leave the country. Thus, a shortage of experienced female clinicians and specialists worsened the healthcare crises for the female population in Afghanistan.

Lack of adequate access to healthcare, severe restrictions on movement outside the house, strict dress code, the absence of female physicians from the healthcare system and restriction of male physicians from properly treating female patients have resulted in a dramatic decline in the health status of women in Afghanistan. A 1998 study of women’s health and human rights in Afghanistan, Physicians for Human Rights illustrated this point when it found that over 70% of women who lived under Taliban regime in Kabul had a significant decline in their general health status.

While the international pressure from various governments, human rights organizations and women groups continued, the Taliban policies on women did not change. However, isolated reports and verbal testimonies by some non-Afghan aid workers and UN officials reported positive changes in the situation of women and girls under the rule of Taliban. Some of the reportedly positive changes included the opening of some home schools for girls’ (ages 6-8, only religious subjects), less restrictions on the female’s dress code (enabled some women to go out without wearing the required head-toe cover), and allowing health workers to work (a small percent of female clinicians are allowed to work for non-governmental organizations and local hospitals).

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