The Taliban in Herat has mandated that female patients, caregivers, and medical staff wear burqas when entering public health facilities, as reported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This restriction, effective from November 5, is said to hinder women’s access to healthcare, impacting even those needing urgent treatment.
MSF noted a 28% decrease in hospitalizations for critical conditions in the days following the implementation of the rule. Taliban officials, however, denied MSF’s claims, asserting that the enforcement of wearing hijabs is general and varies by region, while insisting that no one has been barred from medical facilities.
Female activists reported that Taliban guards have been enforcing the burqa requirement across hospitals, schools, and government buildings, leading to public outcry, including protests where women have symbolically burned their garments.
The Taliban’s enforcement of the burqa echoes their policies from the 1990s and reflects ongoing restrictions on women’s rights, including access to education and employment. The United Nations has condemned these actions as “gender apartheid” and recently suspended operations at a key border crossing due to restrictions affecting Afghan women.
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